The Prize-Winning International Bestseller
'I can't help but be moved by a story about women meeting, fighting, helping each other, looking after one another, and raising their voices against the prejudice and criticism they are subject to.'
Cho Nam-joo, author of Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982
When a mother allows her thirty-something daughter to move into her apartment, she wants for her what many mothers might say they want for their child: a steady income, and, even better, a good husband with a good job with whom to start a family.
But when Green turns up with her girlfriend, Lane, in tow, her mother is unprepared and unwilling to welcome Lane into her home. In fact, she can barely bring herself to be civil. Having centred her life on her husband and child, her daughter’s definition of family is not one she can accept. Her daughter’s involvement in a case of unfair dismissal involving gay colleagues from the university where she works is similarly strange to her.
And yet when the care home where she works insists that she lower her standard of care for an elderly dementia patient who has no family, who travelled the world as a successful diplomat, who chose not to have children, Green’s mother cannot accept it. Why should not having chosen a traditional life mean that your life is worth nothing at all?
In Concerning My Daughter, translated from Korean by Jamie Chang, Kim Hye-jin lays bare our most universal fears on ageing, death, and isolation, to offer finally a paean to love in all its forms.
Marie
2/23/2024
3,75 stars "Concerning my Daughter" explores the complicated relationship between a mother and daughter as they navigate their differing views on family, gender, and societal expectations. This is a thought-provoking exploration of complex family dynamics and societal expectations. The mother initially wants her daughter to conform to traditional gender roles by finding a steady income and a good husband to start a family with. However, her daughter's lifestyle and values challenge the mother's beliefs, particularly when she brings home her girlfriend Lane. The mother is unprepared and unwilling to welcome Lane into her home and struggles to accept her daughter's definition of family. The daughter's involvement in a case of unfair dismissal involving gay colleagues from the university where she works further highlights the conflict between their beliefs. Despite these differences, the mother's refusal to lower her standard of care for an elderly dementia patient who has no family and who chose not to have children demonstrates her ability to empathize with those who have not chosen a traditional life path. The story highlights the mother's internal conflict when she faces a difficult decision at work, which forces her to question her own beliefs and values. I believe this book is important to read because it explores complex family dynamics and challenges societal expectations placed on individuals to conform to certain norms. The story also highlights the importance of empathy and understanding in relationships, especially when faced with differing beliefs and lifestyles. It also raises larger questions about the worth of a person's life and the societal expectations placed on individuals to conform to certain norms, which are important topics for reflection and discussion. Unfortunately, this book was a bit too one-dimensional for me, in the sense that I found it tiring to be inside the head of the main character. Also, I think the narrative was a bit repetitive, especially the thoughts of the main character.
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