A Book to Read If You Want to Learn About Korean Mothers Back in the Days: Please Look After Mom

엄마를 부탁해 (Please Look After Mom)

by Kyung-sook Shin was released in 2008. It was a huge success. More than 2 million copies were sold in Korea and the book was translated in 36 countries. Through this book, Kyung-sook Shin became the first woman and the first Korean author to win the Man Asia Literary Prize in 2012.

The story begins as a 69-year-old mother goes missing outside Seoul station. The author chose a rather experimental way to tell the story: the perspectives of four members of the family; daughter, son, husband, and mother. As readers, you can see what each member is thinking.

The book offers the readers to think about what the love of family is. It also asks, “What kind of life did Korean mothers live in the past?” And “How well do we actually know about mother?”