Pachinko by Min Jin Lee is about war, longing for home, racism, loss, suffering . . . endless suffering, but somewhere it's also about hope. It's about perseverance, too.

As someone who's trying to learn more about the Korean history, this book was a treat to read because I learnt so much about the time Japan had annexed Korea and the war that later took place b/w the North and the South. I was also intimated with the existence of Zainichi Koreans, about whom I had no idea. This book was eye-opening; I was happy for the fact that a piece of fiction was so capable of increasing my knowledge about very real facts.

Lee's writing is vivid. The book was unputdownable in the beginning—I thoroughly enjoyed Part I and II. But by the time I reached Part III, things felt rushed. A character for whom pages after pages were filled earlier, was suddenly killed off after no mention of them for chapters!

Honestly, I thought I was diving into a generational saga that I was definitely going to love, but by the time I reached the last page, something felt amiss. And I was almost disappointed in myself for only liking it, not loving it.

That being said, I'd encourage you to read this book, if only to open your eyes to what really went down in the history of Korea and Japan. It's a really informative piece of fiction with some memorable lines.
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