A woman born in South Korea immigrates to the United States in Angell’s memoir.

The author opens the book questioning the meaning of her own life while beginning to craft her own story. The work chronicles her time as a child in South Korea, where she was born into a family with a harsh father whose income was significantly affected by the hardships of World War II and the Korean War. As a savvy college student, her older sister, Soya, helped her secure a future in New York City. When her father died and her mother sold her Korean home, her mother and her young siblings moved to Queens. After working for Lord & Taylor and Pan American, Angell met Adam, a native New Yorker, who became her husband. They resided in New York and raised their family, including the two children the couple have together, Carla and Ryan. When the children were young, the family moved to Dubai, where Adam established a law firm and the author discovered a passion for designing and building furniture. Times changed, and the family returned to New York. Angell goes beyond a typical immigration narrative and writes about what happens when immigrant families change while residing in new places (“The only option was to adapt and rediscover the meaning of self-existence with adjusted expectations”). She recounts family challenges and dramas that are somewhat universal, further building a connection with the reader. The book also offers some stunning descriptions of Korean culture, New York City, and the fondly remembered times the family spent in Dubai. While this personal narrative is intriguing, the sections set in the present detract a bit from the story—the remembrance sections work better to move the narrative forward. The book also has a great deal of summary and “telling” rather than “showing” what happened; the text lacks scenes that bring poignant events and their significant emotional impacts to life. Still, this is an enjoyable memoir that tells a story that’s both unique and universal.

An appealing account of one family’s journeys and interpersonal dynamics.