Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of <i>The Last Story of Mina Lee</i> in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

<h4 style="margin-top: 84px;">The Gist</h4>

Nancy Jooyoun Kim's <i>The Last Story of Mina Lee</i> is a exploration of identity and family, though it navigates a path that might not fully satisfy every reader. While the novel has notable strengths, it also grapples with certain elements that impact the overall reading experience.

<h4>The Details</h4>

The narrative structure, with its shifting perspectives between Mina and Margot, provides depth to the storytelling. Kim skillfully unveils the layers of their relationship, creating a palpable sense of mystery and emotional resonance. The immigrant experience is portrayed with authenticity, capturing the challenges and cultural complexities faced by Mina.

However, the pacing of the novel is uneven. The story unfolds at a measured rhythm, with moments of introspection that, while insightful, may contribute to a sense of sluggishness. This deliberate pacing, while effective in building atmosphere, could leave readers yearning for a more brisk narrative.

Additionally, the resolution of the novel may be divisive. Some readers might appreciate the open-ended nature, allowing room for interpretation and reflection. However, others may find certain threads left too loosely tied, leading to a sense of ambiguity that might hinder their overall satisfaction.

<h4>The Verdict</h4>

Overall, <i>The Last Story of Mina Lee</i> is a contemplative and thought-provoking novel that shines in its portrayal of familial relationships and the immigrant experience. While its deliberate pace and open-ended resolution may not resonate with every reader, those who appreciate a reflective and emotionally charged narrative will find much to admire.

A solid novel that balances on the edge of historical fiction and mystery. The past storyline was more engaging than the present. The daughter's storyline was a bit slow and at times frustrating. Overall this was enjoyable, especially the vivid descriptions of mouthwatering Korean food.

This was such a heartfelt story. It follows Mina - a Korean immigrant - and her American born daughter Margot.
When Mina dies, Margot tries uncover her mother’s life from a war torn orphan to her questionable death. The Last Story of Mina Lee is a exploration of a complicated mother/daughter relationship which was filled with secrets, guilt and conflict about heritage.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

The Last Story Of Mina Lee was such an incredible book that talks about the topic of being in immigrant in America. I have to say it's not my typical trope or type of book, but I did really enjoy this storyline .

We meet MC - 26 year old Margot. Her mother Mina suddenly isn't answering her calls, which isn't like her. When Margot shows up at Mina's apartment, she finds that Mina has died. While going through her mother's stuff, she finds quite a bit of information that makes her realize how little she truly knew her mother.

Read this book. It's so worth the time!

Some people have called this book a mystery, but that part fell flat for me.

Other than that, I mostly liked this book. It examines the question of how well we actually know our parents -- I think the older we get, the more we realize we don't actually know our parents as people. This book looks closely at that phenomenon wrapped in with the immigrant experience. All in all, it was a thoughtful story of the relationship between a mother and a daughter.

I didn’t know what to expect going into this one. But what a beautiful and heart breaking combination of contemporary fiction, historical fiction, and mystery. An insight into what it is like to be a Korean immigrant and first generation Korean American and how those two different up bringing can shape your whole world, if you let them.

A very good novel. I read it in one day. This book reminds us that the American Dream means different things to different people. Brava on a good book!

I enjoyed this read, I liked Mina but I wanted MORE. I will say the writing style was absolutely BEAUTIFUL.

Thank you to the publisher for this copy - all opinions are my own.

I cannot believe how long it took me to pick this one up - because it is INCREDIBLE and once I started I couldn't put it down. Everything about this book is so wonderfully done, from the character development, to the pacing of the story, to the way everything so perfectly unfolds.

I am completely in love with this book. A must have!

This whodunnit pulled me in, but I had some trouble with the pacing. It moved just a little too slowly for me, but I did enjoy Kim’s writing style and the alternating timelines, which allow readers and Margot to understand more of Mina’s life.

I also found this book to be very tragic. Some parts were difficult for me to read, but I completely understand that this is likely the experience many immigrants had. It made my heart ache for Mina, and there were times I had to walk away from this one for a breather.

Overall, this wasn’t quite the right fit for me, but I’ve read lots of glowing reviews too, so it’s definitely worth a try!

This was not my favorite book. Some of the pieces felt unbelievable (death of the character in the park) and I walked away feeling sad. wouldn't recommend.

Thank you Netgalley for providing the last story of mina lee for The Gloss bookclub.

i really enjoyed this book and found it to be extremely moving. i was hooked from the begining and i couldn't put it down. i found the dual storyline to be well written and i absolutely loved the back and forth from mother to daughter.

i must admit the ending was a bit off the wall but my bookclub was all for it.

i really enjoyed and will rate 3 stars

The Last Story of Mina Lee is just what it sounds like - the story of Mina Lee, told in alternating viewpoints from that of the daughter Margot in 2014 and her own story, mostly from the 1980s, when she immigrated to the United States from Korea. She had lost her husband and child and wanted to escape Korea.

In 2014, her daughter returns home to find her mother unresponsive on the floor. After years of being embarrassed of poverty, of having a mother who only speaks Korean, of living a life that wasn’t typical American, she didn’t want to live the life her mother did. But as she finds her mother, she wonders what caused her mother to fall, and is there more to her mother’s story than she knew. She takes the investigation into her own hands, and goes back through her mother’s life with the few people who knew her.

— thoughts

For some reason, I wasn’t motivated to read this, except that it was a bookclub pick, and even though I did like the story. I liked the perspective of learning about this woman, who so few people knew or valued. Her daughter makes a point to the police that her mother worked and paid taxes like everyone else and should be valued as such. It’s a look at how people are valued by society and by their families.

It’s also a book of found families. Mina doesn’t have a family in the USA but finds one with a neighbor (which I do kind of like that she isn’t rescued by a man). It’s very much a story of female friendship/family through years and tough times.

This book was really unique! It was sort of a mystery along with the story of Mina, and I liked it. In preparation to write this review, I read a few of the reviews on Goodreads, and they’re pretty mixed. It seems like the primary complaint is that the book is slow, but I really didn’t feel that way! Even with the audiobook, I was captivated most of the time.

The shock of Margot finding Mina was a kick to the start of the story, and then I really enjoyed how Margot was trying to solve the mystery of her mom’s death while her mom’s story was being told simultaneously. I thought that the dual timelines here were done well and I didn’t feel like either one was really lacking in some way.

Mina’s story of why she comes to the US and her experience once she gets here is hard to read at times. It was so very hard and heartbreaking. I actually loved all the details and bits that were more character driven here. I think that’s where other readers fell off – they were expecting a captivating mystery and got something else. It really was much more about Mina’s life than the mystery of her death, which worked for me.

Overall I really liked this one. I loved how Margot’s relationship with her mother changes, even after her death. She learns so much about her mother’s past and her life as she digs, and to see Margot understanding her mother (and her motivations) more was so good. I give this one a solid 4 stars.

The Last Story of Ming Lee is a moving and raw story about the complex relationship between an immigrant mother and her American born daughter. The writing was fast moving and the pacing between both timelines (Ming 1987 and Margot 2014) was flawless. I enjoyed both the murder mystery aspect and learning about a immigration experience from a Korean American perspective. It was easy to feel the hardships and struggles that Ming faced through the pages. I also felt for Margot as she learnt about her mother’s painful past and all she endured to survive in America as an immigrant. She gained more appreciation for her mother only after her death. The book shows how much immigrant parents sacrifice to create a better life for their family but still try to hold on into their heritage. I wholeheartedly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGallery and to Harlequin Trade Publishing for giving me a copy for my honest review.

DNF - Did not finish. I did not connect with the writing style or plot and will not be finishing this title. Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!

Mother daughter relationships are incredibly complicated. The story of Margot and Mina Lee is extraordinary. It is heartbreaking, uplifting, and relatable. Make sure to have a full box of tissues for this one.

This is the story of a mother and daughter and secrets that have been kept. I found the story overall to be very slow moving. In the end, I'm not sure the mystery was worth the time spent getting there. This book has lots of positive reviews so apparently I'm in the minority, but this one just wasn't a great fit for me.

Thanks to HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada), Park Row and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/books/2020/09/02/trauma-of-korean-war-reverberates-in-the-last-story-of-mina-lee/

I don't know what I expected when I started THE LAST STORY OF MINA LEE, but it wasn't the one I got. Though I liked the author's writing style and the way the emotion was depicted, I found it hard to get into. This could very well have been the time I was reading this novel, but I don't think this one was for me.