The Last Story of Mina Lee

By: Nancy Jooyoun Kim

Narrated by: Greta Jung

A REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Riveting and unconventional, The Last Story of Mina Lee traces the far-reaching consequences of secrets in the lives of a Korean immigrant mother and her daughter

Margot Lee's mother is ignoring her calls. Margot can’t understand why, until she makes a surprise trip home to Koreatown, LA, and finds that her mother has suspiciously died. Determined to discover the truth, Margot unravels her single mother’s past as a Korean War orphan and an undocumented immigrant, only to realize how little she truly knew about her mother, Mina.

Thirty years earlier, Mina Lee steps off a plane to take a chance on a new life in America. Stacking shelves at a Korean grocery store, the last thing she expects is to fall in love. But that moment leads to repercussions for Mina that echo through the decades, leading up to the truth of what happened the night of her death.

Told through the intimate lens of a mother and daughter who have struggled all their lives to understand each other, The Last Story of Mina Lee is a powerful and exquisitely woven debut novel that explores identity, family, secrets, and what it truly means to belong.

HIGHLY ANTICIPATED BY FORTUNE · POPSUGAR · PUREWOW · BETCHES · GMA.COM · VULTURE · BUSTLE · THE MILLIONS · LITHUB · BOOKRIOT · BOOKISH

“Painful, joyous... A story that cries out to be told.” —Los Angeles Times

“Kim is a brilliant new voice in American fiction.” —Alexander Chee, author of How to Write an Autobiographical Novel

“Suspenseful and deeply felt.” —Chloe Benjamin, author of The Immortalists

Great Story For Everyone

This book is well written - story telling at its best. Very relatable. Would love to see feature of this story.

Wow! One of my favorite reads for the summer.

First book by this and anything based around Korean tradition, the Korean War and people who fled to the US not knowing what had happened to family members they were torn from and didn’t know whether they were dead or alive. A glimpse of PTSD in the way they adapted to a new country and a way of life. Eye opening and makes me ready to search for more about the subject and the area. My dad was a Seabee during the time but area he was deployed to was the Aleutian Islands. If I hadn’t trained as an RN I definitely would be a history major. Sounds like a Korean holocaust. Not much cultural diversity in West Central Arkansas.

Unfinished business

I absolutely loved the rolls coaster of emotions reading this book. The ending leaves you wanting more. I hope the author continues her story! Thank you

Beautiful story

Wish it was longer and can find out what happens next. Beautiful story about a mother's past and love for her daughter

Slightly boring

I found this book to be drawn out way too long. Not a big fan