Description

Michelle Zauner writes about her bond with her mother through food. Her memoir traces grief, love, and her ties to Korea. It speaks to those who know loss. It also suits readers drawn to family and belonging.

Zauner grew up in Eugene, Oregon. Her mother set high goals for her. She recalls her hard teen years with warmth and humor. She also spent months at her grandmother's small Seoul flat. There, she and her mother shared food. They had long talks late at night.

She went to college on the East Coast. There, she worked in a restaurant and formed a band. She also met the man she would marry. As this new life grew, her Korean roots felt less close. At 25, she learned her mother had cancer and would die. She turned back to the tastes her mother had shared. She also returned to her mother's language and history. After her mother died, cooking helped keep their bond alive. Food ties her past to questions of loyalty and identity. It also shapes how she learns to live with loss.

This is Zauner's first book. She sings and plays guitar as Japanese Breakfast. She writes indie pop with a shoegaze influence. Her albums include Psychopomp (2016) and Soft Sounds from Another Planet (2017). Jubilee came next, in June 2021. Diana Lupu translated this edition from English.