This beautifully written book satisfies on so many levels, from an immigrant experience to a whodunnit to an exploration of what it means to have a special needs child. The challenges and strong emotions. The author manages to capture so much and incorporates her own experience that adds richness and gives all a three dimensional quality.

Many of my reading friends rated this novel with a resounding five stars and, while I was able to stay engaged throughout the novel and definitely felt eager to find out how the mystery would conclude, I have to admit that there are times when I struggle to identify with stories that are so strongly positioned within the context of parenting. Having said that, Angie Kim is a brilliantly talented writer and storyteller; I love her inclusion of children with special needs, especially an autistic child and the unique challenges of his single mother. While there is certainly a mystery to solve, by the end it feels more like a tragedy; the way in which Kim weaves these two elements together is absolutely stunning and Miracle Creek is definitely worth the high praise it has received.

Pak Yoo, his wife Young and their teenaged daughter Mary are immigrants from South Korea who now live in Miracle Creek, Virginia. The family business is the operation of a hyperbaric oxygen chamber (nicknamed the miracle submarine) that is purported to cure or treat various medical conditions, including autism and infertility. The submarine is big enough to treat multiple people at a time, and during one such treatment session a fire breaks out, killing 2 people and injuring several others. The mother of one of the victims is arrested and put on trial for arson and murder. The title of this book used to be Miracle Submarine and I wish they had kept that title since it is more descriptive.

This book is described as a courtroom drama, which is misleading because very little of it takes place in a courtroom. That’s too bad, because the author is a former trial lawyer and I would have preferred more legal wrangling. Instead, we get a lot of unpleasant people who are incapable of telling the truth. By the end of the book I wanted them all to be in prison. The book is mostly about competitive mothering, but it also works in accusations of child abuse and infidelity. There are a lot of potential suspects for the arson and I kept reading to find out who did it, but I wasn’t crazy about the book.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

I adored this book. Quite a few times reading it on the tube on my commute, I'd look up to find we were still several stations away from my stop and be relieved I still had time to read it. It works brilliantly as a mystery, but the best thing about it is that every character is so perfectly rounded. There was one scene in which Elizabeth and Kitt have an argument, and the genius of it was that you could absolutely see both of their (opposing) points, knew exactly why they were so passionate about asserting their opinions to each other and perfectly understood how they could never understand each other. It was so skilfully done, and something I've seen in real life but never so elegantly expressed in literature—especially with the chapter coming from one character's third-person perspective.

Miracle Creek touches on so many issues—parental sacrifice in particular is represented through Elizabeth, Kitt and Theresa's disabled children but also through Pak and Young's immigrating to provide a better life for Mary—but it's also just incredibly readable and entertaining. The courtroom scenes, particuarly with Shannon prosecuting, were riveting.

My only one thing—and it really is just one thing—is that I couldn't help thinking this book's working title was Miracle Submarine. In fact, within the context of the book, one character points out what a better name Miracle Submarine is than Miracle Creek! Maybe the publisher felt Miracle Submarine sounded a bit too whacky, but honestly, a literary book called Miracle Submarine would get snatched off the shelves (by me)

When an explosion and fire kill two people in the Miracle Submarine treatment device, the whole town is rocked. Pak and Young Yoo have moved to America from Korea with their teen daughter Mary and have started the treatment center to give a good life to their daughter. Matt, a doctor himself, is having treatment for sterility issues. He is the only adult along with three children suffering from handicaps of their own. The Miracle Submarine is a hyperbaric chamber but large enough for the four to sit in. My father-in-law was put in one because of open wounds on his leg due to arthritis. (I could write a book about his suffering alone) It was a small one that made me claustrophobic just looking at so imagining one on a larger scale was very interesting to me. As they sit in their session, things start to go quite off course. The power goes out, the video stops, causing one of the kids to take off his helmet and start banging his head. When Young, who was left alone, runs to get batteries, she comes back to an explosion and fire.

The story takes us into the courtroom as Elizabeth Ward (my daughter’s name so that was a bit distracting for me) is charged with the murder of her son and her friend, the mother of the other boy. Things are not what they seem. There is so much going on in this book, SO much. Everyone has secret, upon, secret, upon secret, one more devastating than the other. By the time we find out how the fire started, I was emotionally exhausted.

This is so wonderfully written. To be able to get into the minds and hearts of so many characters perfectly is a gift. I really felt like I knew and understood each one’s motives, skewed as they may have been. I did not feel as if there was any villain or any hero. These were humans, flaws and all. I was left in tears. It hit every motherly instinct in me.

Miracle Creek is an incredible first novel and if this is the beginning, I cannot wait to see what comes next.

Thanks to the generosity of Netgalley and Farrar-Straus and Giroux for a copy of this wonderful book.

Loved this book! I was surprised so many times and thought many people were guilty before it was over. What a great story about parenting, special needs children, loyalty, and love. I will definitely be watching for more from this author. Well done!

It's so hard to believe this is Angie's debut novel. I LOVED this story so much! Angie managed to write a thriller and at the same time have me so invested in the relationships of all the main characters. There was a mother/daughter relationship which I feel was just so crucial to this story. But, she also gave us an amazing story about husbands and wives which centered on trust and love. The cover is amazing and the story is even better!!

I was disappointed by this book. I had high hopes. Like the author, I am a trained trial attorney. I think that maybe my background led me to want more from this book than it was able to give. The character development was a bit lacking, and some of the trial and legal scenes weren’t accurate.

However, the weighty subject matter does give way to depiction of a really interesting dilemma of: how far would you go to protect your child and what does that protection look like to you? This resonated with me. Ultimately I thought the book had a good message and a satisfying ending, but it was quite slow.

Miracle Submarine offers alternative therapies for a range of chronic conditions. But is the family who runs it to be trusted? Are the patients? We know there has been a terrible accident, 1 parent and a child dead. The mother of the dead boy is on trial for his murder in what seems to be such a clear-cut case. And yet, as the story unfolds bouncing from character to character, it becomes more and more difficult to say who's to blame.

My Thoughts: Everyone has been buzzing about Angie Kim’s remarkable debut, Miracle Creek. It’s not often that an author can plot her story in a completely unique situation, but Kim did just that. The entire idea of this therapeutic submarine device is something few readers would have heard of and yet, Kim built an intriguing mystery around such a device and the people both operating and using it. When a fiery explosion at a rural facility kills two and injures others, everything and everyone associated with the “Miracle Submarine” comes into question.

I always love a book told from many perspectives and Miracle Creek did that beautifully. We hear from the three members of the Yoo family, operators of the device, Matt and Theresa, clients, from Elizabeth who lost her son in the fire and has herself become the chief suspect, and many more. The book centers around the trial of Elizabeth Ward, charged with causing the explosion in theory to end the drudgery of caring for her special needs son. But, as the courtroom drama unfolds, Kim takes the reader back in time and bit by bit unveils tiny facts that keep the reader constantly guessing as to what really happened. I liked this book very much, yet occasionally felt it went too deep into backstory that didn’t really matter. Still, if you’re a fan of courtroom dramas Miracle Creek is a must read! Grade: B+

Note: I received a copy of this book from Sarah Crichton Books (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

My reading experience can be divided in two phases: 1st phases was "I MUST read this book because I have to review it", 2nd phase was "OMG this book is amazing, I can't stop reading".
As a matter of fact I had to stop reading from time to time but I was back as soon as I could.
That said I can start listing a long series of adjectives or description but at the end of the day there's just one thing: this is an amazing book and you have to read to understand the beauty and how thought provoking it can be.
The plot, the style of writing, the cast of characters, the different POV: everything is very good and well written.
I liked how the author faces different social issues without turning this book into an essay or something boring.
A very good book, I will surely read others by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I loved this book! This is a fascinating murder mystery/courtroom drama/immigrant story that is unlike any other I have read. Along with being a riveting page-turner the author explores tough questions that have no easy answers.

The book opens with an explosion in a hyperbaric chamber, the so-called “Miracle Submarine”, a medical treatment used in the hope of a cure for conditions ranging from autism to infertility. The resulting fire took the life of two people: an 8-year-old boy with autism, and the young mother of one of the patients. Several others were left with devastating injuries.

Elizabeth, the mother of the young boy who died, is charged with wanting her son dead and orchestrating his murder. Is Elizabeth guilty, or, as the defense suggests, is someone else the guilty party? Told from alternating perspectives, there are little lies, big lies, and lies of omission. Everybody is hiding something and everyone has a possible motive for the crime.

The courtroom drama was riveting. Depending on which piece of evidence is explored, the suspicion leans strongly toward one person or another. No one has the full picture but each reveal draws us closer to the truth and keeps the reader guessing.

I think one of the strengths of this book is allowing the reader a peek into the minds and hearts of parents of disabled children. Parenting is a tough job, even more so when faced with the overwhelming exhaustion, grief, and fear of parenting a child with special needs, and the worry of what will happen to your child when they outlive you. The dynamics of the group of mothers who have children with varying degrees of autism was especially interesting.

Despite a great love for your child, shameful, but all-too-human, thoughts can creep in. Thoughts that could never be voiced out loud to anyone. I hope this book gives parents in similar circumstances reassurance and validation that they aren’t awful people, just flawed humans. Like all of us.

The immigrant experience is also explored, specifically the clashes between the old ways and the new, and the sacrifices immigrant parents make for their children, which don’t always lead to the expected outcome.

The author is Korean-American, a trial lawyer, and has a child who received hyperbaric treatments for a health condition. She writes with authenticity based on personal experience. This is an amazing debut and I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

Highly recommended for fans of thoughtful character-driven mystery/courtroom dramas. For those in a book club this would be an excellent pick.

**I received a free copy of the book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

It's hard to find something to say about a book that's already received so much buzz and high praise.

Miracle Creek is a courtroom drama following the explosion of a hyperbaric oxygen chamber in Miracle Creek, Virginia. The "miracle submarine" was a hyperbaric chamber that allowed for multiple individuals to sit inside the vessel for treatment at the same time. Although the "miracle submarine" is touted to help with ailments, such as autism and infertility, it is considered to a controversial treatment.

Miracle Creek follows alternating chapters of individuals who are directly affected by the explosion. Matt is a patient who was injured during the explosion and his wife is also a stakeholder in the "miracle submarine". Pak Yoo owned and operated the treatment along with his wife, Young, and his teenage daughter, Mary. Readers are also given points of view from the accused and other parents who used this treatment for their children. As with most courtroom dramas, not everything is what it seems.

Although I found the outcome predictable I did enjoy Angie Kim's writing style. It's also interesting to hear Kim's inspiration for writing this novel. I look forward to seeing what Kim writes next. Thank you to Netgalley and FSG for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Parenting is hard work and every parent knows that. It's a time of fun, frustration, happiness, anger, love and even twinges of hate. However, as hard as this job is being a parent to a normal child, it is incredibly more difficult, more trying, and more heart breaking being the parent of a handicapped child. In the book, Miracle Creek, Angie Kim tries to point out how very difficult that job is.

As a parent, you would do anything to make life and its many pitfalls easier for your child. You would go to any lengths to guarantee their safety, happiness, and always be there to provide a cushion to the ills of the world your child is traveling through. However for a parent of a handicapped child, this road they must travel is so often fraught with frustration, pain, and the incredible loss of concern for self. It's a time of never resting, never sleeping well, always on guard for the next disaster, the next time of unhappiness, the next case of looking for cures that can allay the situation and offer the hope of making your child normal.

So it is not that surprising that the parents of severely handicapped children have come to the facility run by Young and Pak Yoo. This miracle submarine as they call ii, is a hyperbolic chamber that offers remedies for autism, infertility and other maladies. It seems to be somewhat successful but tragedy is on approach and as the submarine once known as a miracle becomes a nightmare, killing two people. The Yoo's life is thrown into turmoil and the lives of the parents who are left behind becomes one of recriminations and guilt. A trial ensues in which one parent, Elizabeth, is accused of setting this disaster in motion and being the cause of the explosion that killed two people, one of whom was her son.

The strength of this book comes from the true picture that is painted of parents who struggle with their children who are disabled. It so well portrays the road that these people travel, one often filled with frustration, anger, and of course hope. It allowed for feelings of hate, hate for the cards dealt to them and the children who made their lives ever so difficult. It showed true human emotion, not always kind or loving, but exhausted, sleepless, and embarrassed.

Everyone in this story is lying, lying to protect their assets, lying to protect their marriage, lying to deny their part in a scenario that was both tragic and fated. It is a story of deceit, a story of tragedy, a story of how far a parent will go to make their child normal.

Jan and I read this book together and came away with a keen understanding of the pitfalls one often falls into in their zeal to make their offspring perfect, to fit a norm, to be normal.
Thank you to Angie Kim, Farrar Straus and Giroux for a copy of this story.

I cannot believe this is a debut novel!

This story has the most perfect mix of mystery/thriller, complicated family issues, immigrant story, courtroom drama, and beautifully written literary fiction. It never felt like it was changing genres; everything just worked so well together to produce a story that I didn't want to put down.

The way the story was structured added so much to the anticipation and intrigue. Because each character shared only a small bit of information at a time, (and because some of that information contradicted what the reader had already been told) it was difficult to determine who had been responsible for the tragedy and what their motivations could have been. It seemed like each main character had a secret that could have made them guilty and any one of them could have done the unthinkable to ease the burdens they felt.

So much of this story reminded me of Everything I Never Told You. While the content was very different, the deeper issues explored were so similar: assimilating to a new a culture, (and how that is different for adults and children) secrets that family members keep from one another, and the way that what someone's life appears to be on the surface may be nothing like the reality. I didn't make this connection until the book was almost over, but once I did, it made it more obvious why this was such an enjoyable read for me.

This was also one of those stories that I ended up rating higher after thinking on it for a few days. It is definitely one that will leave an impassion and a lot to dissect and ruminate on. These are my absolute favorite type of stories, so readers with similar tastes will probably fall in love with this book the same way I did.

I cannot wait to see what Angie Kim writes in the future!

A compelling, outstanding debut!
Available Now!

"My husband told me to lie"......

"From her direction, I heard a noise. It sounded like crackling, but softer and muffled, the way a flock of geese might sound taking off for flight, hundreds of wings flapping at once to scamper skyward. I thought I saw them, a curtain of gray rippling in the wind and rising higher and higher in the dusky violet sky, but I blinked, and the sky was empty. I ran toward the sound, and I saw it then, what she’d seen but I hadn’t, what she’d run toward.
Flames.
Smoke.
The back wall of the barn—on fire. I don’t know why I didn’t run or scream, why Mary didn’t, either. I wanted to. But I could only walk slowly, carefully, one step at a time, getting closer, my eyes transfixed by the flames in orange and red—fluttering, leaping, and switching places like partners in a step dance.
When the boom sounded, my knees buckled and I fell. But I never took my eyes off my daughter. Every night, when I turn off the light and close my eyes for sleep, I see her, my Meh-hee, in that moment. Her body flings up like a rag doll and arcs through the air. Gracefully. Delicately. Just before she lands on the ground with a soft thud, I see her ponytail, bouncing high. The way it used to when she was a little girl, jumping rope."

********
Angie Kim's debut novel, Miracle Creek, is a compelling, thrilling, fast paced read from beginning to end!
I enjoyed the unique storyline, interesting and believable characters, and the addictive courtroom drama that played out in this book. I've never read a book quite like this one and I was completely drawn in and entertained all the way through!

Thanks to NetGalley, Sarah Crichton Books/Farrar, Straus & Giroux publishing, and Angie Kim for this advanced digital copy for me to read and review.

A beautifully written book, testing a a group of people’s struggle with the truth, values, ethics and doing what’s right.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC

It's been a long time since I have read a novel that is so highly readable. What do I mean by this? The writing is so completely fluid, the characters so believable and relatable, the story so original. As a mother the feelings expressed are unbearably honest. I highly recommend this novel.

Korean immigrants Pak and Young Yoo are living in the small town of Miracle Creek, Virginia, with their teenage daughter Mary.
They run a business with a hyperbaric oxygen therapy tank or "submarine" used in the treatment of autism and male infertility.
When a fire and explosion kills two, and paralyzes and maims two others, the mother of the autistic boy who was killed, is charged with murder.
The story follows the different points of view of the characters, and the courtroom drama of the trial.
I don't want to give too much of the plot away, it is better to go into the book knowing less.
This is a dark and powerful tale of mystery, drama and heartbreak.
It covers the loneliness of feeling like an outsider, and the struggles and rewards of having a child with autism. Emotional and intense, full of pain and beauty. With characters that touch you and frustrate you!
A beautiful and soulful debut novel, not to be missed!
I loved that this is so different than anything else out right now.
Thank you to FSG Books and Netgalley for the free ebook in exchange for the honest review.

ARC/Netgalley

I had a hard time rating this because I couldn't decide exactly how I felt. Usually the sign of a great book club pick! Miracle Creek has some pretty challenging content (child death etc.) that makes it hard to ENJOY but I also could not put it down. The pacing is excellent and the court room scenes felt very real. A compelling story that covers a lot of debates I've seen play out in parenting circles.