Please Look After Mother

De: Kyung-Sook Shin

Narrado por: Bruce Turk, Janet Song, Mark Bramhall, Samantha Quan

Winner of the Man Asian Literary Prize, 2012.

When 69-year-old So-nyo is separated from her husband among the crowds of the Seoul subway station, her family begins a desperate search to find her. Yet as long-held secrets and private sorrows begin to reveal themselves, they are forced to wonder: how well did they actually know the woman they called Mother?

Told through the piercing voices and urgent perspectives of a daughter, son, husband and mother, Please Look After Mother is at once an authentic picture of contemporary life in Korea and a universal story of family love.

With an introduction by Banana Yoshimoto

A W&N Essential

©2011 Kyung-Sook Shin (P)2022 Orion Publishing Group

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Kyung-Sook Shin's tale...has hit a nerve." (Guardian)

"A raw tribute to the mysteries of motherhood." (New York Times Book Review)

"The most moving and accomplished, and often startling, novel." (Wall Street Journal)

The Universal Guilt of Neglecting Those We Love

Please Look After Mom by Shin Kyung-sook is a beautiful and deeply emotional novel. The story begins when Park So-nyo, an elderly woman in poor health, goes missing in a crowded Seoul subway station. As her family searches for her, the story is told from their different perspectives, uncovering the pain of losing someone before truly appreciating them and revealing the hidden life of a mother who quietly carried her family’s burdens.

The book explores themes of regret, love, and sacrifice, capturing the universal guilt of feeling we can never fully repay what our mothers do for us. It also highlights the devastating consequences of neglecting those we love, showing how easy it is to take a mother’s sacrifices for granted until it’s too late. Park So-nyo, who started as a flawed young girl marrying a man who tried to steal her bicycle, becomes a larger-than-life figure through her selfless motherhood. Her sacrifices, struggles, and resilience are both heartbreaking and inspiring.

Two of the most striking questions from the book linger in the reader’s mind: “Do you know what happens to all the things we did together in the past?” and “Wouldn’t they have seeped into the present, not disappeared?” These lines beautifully capture the novel’s reflection on memory, the enduring impact of shared experiences, and the universal experience of losing someone before fully understanding or appreciating them. They remind us that the love and sacrifices of a mother never truly fade but shape us in profound ways.

Shin also reflects on the later stages of life, the loneliness of a mother’s unacknowledged needs, and the horror of her disappearance without closure. The family’s realization of how much they overlooked her is poignant and relatable.

Through simple yet moving prose, Please Look After Mom offers a powerful portrait of a Korean mother’s life. It’s a touching reminder to value and understand loved ones while they’re still with us. A must-read for anyone who has ever reflected on the sacrifices and love of a parent. 5/5 stars.

Struggled to finish

A book club read, and I found it a bit dull and struggled to finish. I think the main message was about taking time to appreciate the people in your life while you can, a worthy message. And I did find a book set in Korea had some interest, but otherwise the book was not for me.