Crying in H Mart is a best-selling memoir written by Michelle Zauner, a Korean-American musician best known as the lead vocalist of the indie rock band Japanese Breakfast. The memoir, published in April 2021 by Alfred A. Knopf, emerged as one of the most acclaimed nonfiction books of the decade, earning a place on The New York Times bestseller list for over a year. With raw honesty and poetic vulnerability, the memoir explores themes of motherhood, cultural identity, illness, and the healing power of food.
Synopsis
The book opens with Zauner’s vivid memory of crying in an H Mart, a popular Korean-American supermarket chain. The sight of Korean snacks, ingredients, and families reminds her of her late mother and the cultural world she feels increasingly distant from. This sets the tone for a deeply emotional narrative about losing her mother to cancer and struggling to hold onto her Korean heritage.
Zauner reflects on her upbringing in Eugene, Oregon, as the biracial daughter of a white American father and a South Korean mother. She describes the tension she felt growing up, particularly her alienation from American beauty standards and the pressures her mother placed on her as a reflection of Korean values around discipline and success. Their relationship was often fraught—marked by arguments and cultural misunderstanding—but also profoundly loving and shaped by shared meals, travels to Korea, and cooking together.
When her mother is diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, Zauner, then in her mid-20s and an aspiring musician in Philadelphia, returns home to be her caregiver. The memoir tracks the progression of her mother’s illness and their reconciliation during that time. In caring for her mother, Zauner not only begins to understand the depth of her mother’s love but also embraces her cultural heritage more fully. Cooking traditional Korean meals becomes a lifeline to her past and a symbolic way of staying connected to her mother after her death.
Zauner’s grief unfolds alongside stories of resilience and rediscovery. She explores how the loss of a parent alters identity and how we cling to the rituals and flavors of our upbringing in an attempt to hold onto what’s been lost.
Themes
1. Grief and Loss
At its core, Crying in H Mart is a memoir about mourning. Zauner’s grief is tangible and unfiltered, touching readers who have experienced similar losses. Her writing doesn’t shy away from the painful details of her mother’s illness, nor the emotional aftermath. Through her storytelling, Zauner captures the intimate heartbreak of losing a parent and the loneliness that follows.
2. Cultural Identity and Heritage
Zauner writes as a mixed-race Korean-American grappling with what it means to be “Korean enough” after her primary link to Korean culture—her mother—is gone. She delves into how food becomes a vessel for cultural memory, identity, and belonging. Korean dishes like kimchi jjigae and galbi aren’t just meals; they are acts of preservation and resistance against cultural erasure.
3. The Healing Power of Food
Food is a powerful motif in the memoir. Recipes, ingredients, and cooking rituals are described in lush, sensory language. Preparing Korean meals becomes a spiritual and emotional exercise for Zauner, a way to communicate with her mother beyond death and to maintain her sense of self.
4. Art, Music, and Expression
Michelle Zauner’s identity as an artist is interwoven throughout the book. She candidly discusses her early failures and how music became a means of processing her emotions and making sense of her life. The memoir shows how grief can fuel creativity and how art can serve as a form of survival.
About Michelle Zauner
Michelle Zauner was born on March 29, 1989, in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in Eugene, Oregon. Her mother, Chongmi, was South Korean, while her father is a white American. Zauner attended Bryn Mawr College, where she began making music and performing.
Before gaining fame with Japanese Breakfast, Zauner released solo music under the moniker Little Big League. Her breakout success came with the Japanese Breakfast albums Psychopomp (2016), Soft Sounds from Another Planet (2017), and Jubilee (2021)—each of which addresses personal themes of loss, love, and identity.
Zauner’s 2018 essay titled “Crying in H Mart” in The New Yorker resonated deeply with readers and led to the memoir’s expansion into a full-length book. The essay’s success not only launched her literary career but also positioned her as a new voice in Asian American literature. Her lyrical prose and honest voice earned praise from critics and readers alike.
Reception and Legacy
Crying in H Mart was met with widespread acclaim. It was named one of the Best Books of the Year by outlets such as Time, NPR, and The Washington Post. Reviewers praised the book’s emotional depth, lyrical style, and cultural resonance. It sparked important conversations about race, identity, and the immigrant experience in America.
The book also struck a chord with readers of all backgrounds for its universal themes of family, caregiving, and coping with loss. Zauner’s reflections on intergenerational trauma, cultural pride, and healing helped build a bridge between Korean culture and the Western literary canon.
Film Adaptation
A film adaptation of Crying in H Mart is currently in development with Orion Pictures. Michelle Zauner herself is writing the screenplay and curating the soundtrack, ensuring that the tone and emotional resonance of the memoir are preserved on screen. The film is highly anticipated and promises to expand the reach of the memoir’s message.
Conclusion
Crying in H Mart is more than a memoir—it’s a deeply intimate portrait of a woman rediscovering herself through the act of remembering. With evocative language, heartbreaking clarity, and cultural insight, Michelle Zauner delivers a story that transcends genres. Whether you’ve experienced personal loss or are navigating your own cultural identity, this book offers solace, beauty, and the reminder that memory and love live on in the rituals we keep.
