Margot is from Los Angeles, but is currently living in Seattle, working. Her mother still lives in Los Angeles in the same apartment, Margot grew up in. When her friend Miguel makes a move to LA, Margot decides to help him find a place. When she arrives to check in on her mother, she is shocked to find her mother dead. No one seems to know what happened. Margot finds things in the apartment that shock her, she always thought her mother was boring and did nothing. With this discovery, Margot is determined to find out as much as she can about her mother, Mina Lee and about herself as well.

Thank you to Park Row books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.



This book moved a little slowly for me. Margot seemed really laid back. I found it hard to concentrate on the book and often found other things to do, instead of reading. The book did warm my heart though and make me wish I lived closer to my mother. I remember there was a time when the power had gone out at her house and she had to be away for work. I had to drive almost an hour roundtrip to make sure everything was turned off, because she had turned on the tea kettle and wasn't sure if she turned the oven off since the power was out. Her neighbors at the time didn't have a key to her house. That has since changed, but I still wish I lived a little closer.

For a long time Margot was ashamed of her mother, I'm not sure if it was because they were poor or because her mother never did anything for herself. In her quests will she find a totally different person than the one she thought she knew her entire life?

I'm fortunate to be part of The Last Story Of Mina Lee by Nancy Jooyoun Kim book tour courtesy of BookClubbish and Park Row. Thank you for a gifted copy! I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.


REVIEW ☆☆☆☆☆

I am not Korean. I am not an immigrant. Did I, regardless of this, identify with The Last Story Of Mina Lee? Yes, I absolutely did! This story is so universally connected to everyone. On almost every page, I've written notes and underlined snippets and entire passages that speak to my heart and soul.

Mina and Margot are familiar to me. I don't speak often to my mother, and that is my choice. She is harsh, and I am done with that. Margot realizes, after Mina's death, that she knew little about her mother and regrets so much of their history. Isn't this true more often than not when you lose someone? You learn about so many things that escaped you. This story is heavy with regret and sorrow and wishing to change the past. A universal feeling.

Nancy Jooyoun Kim paints a vivid picture of LA Koreatown and a Korean immigrant's way of living, of surviving. I have not experienced any of these things, and this intimate portrayal helps me envision Mina and Margot. I love the flow of the language, almost lyrical, and beautiful. I connected emotionally to this story-its themes about relationships, friendships, heritage, appreciation for the now-and I know I will think about it for a long time. I cannot recommend this book enough. It is just fantastic in every way!

More of a quiet, plodding storyline than expected. The story didn't hold my attention for very long in ebook. I grabbed the audiobook and pushed through. I liked parts of this story- I enjoyed the search for Mina's past and what happened that her daughter found her dead-- but the narrator or main character didn't give me much to endear to... I found the book to be mostly uninteresting. Not terrible, but not a great book that I'd rave about.

3.5 stars rounded up. Thank you to Harlequin/Park Row Books for providing a free ebook copy!

I really enjoyed the plot and the themes Kim explores: the immigrant experience in America, Korean culture, and mother-daughter relationships. I liked the alternating chapters, which helped build the murder mystery suspense.

The book started to lose steam for me around the halfway point, and I found myself more drawn to Mina's flashback chapters, paying less attention to Margot's chapters in the present.

Overall, I think it's a good debut novel that many readers will enjoy, and I'm eager to try more of the author's future books.

What a beautiful read. The story of an immigrant to the US, and her hopes, struggles, and dreams. This story is split between when Mina Lee first came to the US, in the 80s, and present day, where her daughter, Margot is piecing together her mother's story.

As a first generation Canadian myself, I found it really sad how Margot viewed and treated Mina. I may have been similarly ungrateful in my teenage years, but she is still awful well into adulthood. Seeing my parents try their best to make a living and raise us in this new country was awe inspiring. They sacrificed a lot to give us a better future. To be fair, my family didn't struggle the way Mina's did, so maybe I can't fully understand, but it made me dislike Margot even more.

My heart broke for Mina repeatedly, it seemed like her life was a neverending struggle, and nothing ever got easier for her. The story said a lot about the American struggle in particular, how some have to live nearly invisibly to not attract any attention, for fear of deportation.

This story is a must read; it is an eye opener, in particular for those who have not seen the immigrant struggle firsthand. Maybe with more awareness, instead of judging those who are different, we can support them and help them feel more at home.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the free eGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

I actually feel a guilty for my neutrality on this one. I love mother daughter narratives, multicultural fiction, and dual timelines, but yet, I failed to love this one. While it's a touching, if slow moving story, the novel and I failed to connect. Perhaps it's just that I was smitten with others (The Joy Luck Club and Girl in Translation spring to mind) and while it's unfair of me to expect the same swept away feeling by every book I read with a similar story line, it remains the case. Try as I might, no matter how how hard I tried, nor how many times I stopped and started reading, I just never had that can't stop reading compulsion. There is a lot to be learned here and I do appreciate that, but I do admit that I could, I wish that I had enjoyed it more.

I went into this lovely book expecting a lot of commentary about what it is like to be a first generation American of a Korean immigrant, which I got and loved. What I didn't expect was a murder mystery, which I also loved. I loved how the author used the two timeliness and the murder mystery to show how difficult it is to be an immigrant and to be a child of an immigrant, especially when the "American dream" is not what you expected. The writing was lovely and easy to read, so I was able to absorb everything. I loved it! I just really wanted more about Mina's pre-american life because an escape from North Korea and a deadly cult would make for an excellent story!

I love stories that deal with family relationships and Asian culture, and some of my favorite authors are masters of portraying those familial bonds (e.g. Amy Tan, Celeste Ng, Lisa See). This was such a touching and well-written story. It made me cry! I think throughout, though, I was impressed that the character of Mina – while deceased for the entire novel – was still such a memorable and vibrant character. She was so relatable. I think that this was the strongest aspect of this remarkable debut novel: the development of the characters.

Strongly recommended! Thank you so much for including me in the tour and for my electronic ARC.

The Last Story of Mina Lee is an emotionally touching mother-daughter story. When Margot is unable to reach her mother Mina by phone for several days, she drives from her current residence in Seattle to her childhood home in L.A.'s Koreatown, where she finds her mother's lifeless body on the living room floor. Mina's unexpected death is shocking, and Margot is determined to learn all she can about her last hours and the circumstances surrounding her demise.

Mother and daughter have never been particularly close. Margot has always loved her mother, yet was often embarrassed by Mina's old-fashioned ways. Throughout her life, Margot resented Mina's foreignness, poverty, and powerlessness. And their generational differences exacerbated their circumstances: Mina was a "model" immigrant--a hard worker who endured frequent indignities and never expressed the hardships and tragic losses of her past; while Margot behaves as one might expect the child of an immigrant to--embracing her American birthright while keeping her Korean heritage at arm's length. As single mother and only child, Mina and Margot have never really understood each other, although they have always been loyal to one another.

As Margot sorts through her mother's accumulated belongings and speaks with the woman who befriended Mina upon her arrival in California all those years ago, Margot learns things about Mina's past experiences that her mother never spoke of. This newly-revealed information sets Margot on a course of discovery and reevaluation of identity and beliefs. Ultimately, Margot develops a deeper appreciation for her mother's strength and resolve--finding ways to make peace with the past and honor her memory.

There are devastating and bittersweet qualities to Kim's debut novel that pull at the heartstrings. Margot learns about both her mother's and her own past after Mina's death, when there is no longer an opportunity for mother and daughter to discuss this part of their history together. Yet this story is also a life-affirming celebration of the immigrant experience and the sacrifices and hardships previous generations undergo in the hope of providing a better life for generations to come. The many heartbreaking and heartwarming moments deeply resonate and authentically define the human experience.

An intriguing story that alternates between Mina, a Korean immigrant who comes to the US alone after suffering a tragedy, and her daughter Margot. The story focuses on the two women, with such different stories and how hard it was for them to reach each other. Neither could understand each other both figuratively and literally, as Mina never learns English and Margot hardly understands Korean. This is a plot point I have trouble understanding or believing. I was left wondering if there are families where the child doesn't automatically grow to speak the language of the parent. Overall, I found it a well told story.

If you like Amy Tan, you’ll enjoy this debut by Nancy Jooyoun Kim.
When Margot goes back to visit her mother in Koreatown, Los Angeles, she finds her mother dead. Now she has not been the best daughter. She is American, through and through and her mother has seen life through the eyes of an immigrant. In this mystery, as Margot tries to figure out what happened to her mother, she also sees what life was like for her mother. She comes to the realization that her mother was an extraordinarily strong, resourceful woman. Yes, the story is a little uneven, but I’ll give Kim leeway in that. This is her debut novel, and she wrote a story in which I was easily immersed.

What an amazing book about an immigrant mother Mina and her American daughter Margot. They have an issue understanding each other, which is something that happens to a lot of moms and their daughters regardless, but this book was so touching in so many ways.

Margot goes back home to visit to her mom Mina, but when she goes back home, she finds her mom dead on the floor, and she’s not only trying to find out what’s been going on with her mom before her death, but this mystery also brings her face to face with her moms past. This journey opens up Margots eyes, and little by little that complex relationship she had with her mother she was able to unravel.

Mina’s story is also told in this book and what I loved about her is that Mina was strong, she ran from her horrible past to start again in a new country, she is trying to move on, she works very hard, she can be a little headstrong, even with her own daughter, but she has so many secrets, and her daughter to protect from those secrets, that she wishes and hopes, now that her daughter is older, that she will hopefully understand.

Margot finds out so many things about her mother, she finds out all of her mothers secrets, and even up to the day that of her death. And after everything, Margot felt so liberated, she did a whole 360 in her life, planning on doing the things you have always wanted to do, realizing that she’s more like her mom than she realized which was never a bad thing.

My favorite part of the book was when she used the strength she has seen in her mother, the strength that her mother has given to her, and called that ONE person who will connect her with her culture, and closer to her own mom.

Thanks Netgalley, Park Row Books, and Nancy Jooyoun Kim for this amazing book, I couldn’t put it down it’s a book everyone should get their hands on.

One of the toughest things for immigrants in my mind is that they have degrees and experience working in high level jobs in their country, and often come here and find themselves in lower class positions. I understand that language is a barrier, as is specific accreditation’s, but it is still mind blowing to me.

Take, for example, Mina Lee, the fictional star of The Last Story of Mina Lee. She is fictional, but feels so real I think I’ve seen her in a small swap meet shop sometime in my past. She was a clothing designer in Korea. She worked her way up to owning her own stall at a swap meet in America. Such a disconnect.

Of course, I’m not giving anything away (it’s in the description of the book) to say that Mina meets her tragic end alone in her small, dingy apartment. And she isn’t found until a week later by her estranged, first generation American daughter, Margot. And so much of her life and death is a mystery.

Kim switches between Margot’s present day perspective and Mina’s perspective as a new immigrant in America. And as Margot makes tiny discoveries, we, the readers, are being fed a tiny bit of the story piece by piece. It’s a narrative strategy I really enjoy as I feel we are discovering answers to the mystery together.

Side note- you will be hungry when you read this. The descriptions of Korean food were torturous at times. They sounded so damn good!

This one is a must read and released this week. So you are able to head down to your local independant bookstore and pick up your copy. Thanks to Netgalley and Park Row for an advanced e-galley in exchange for my honest review.

Mothers and daughters are always a storyline that intrigues. Add in the reluctance to talk about your past, immigration, assimilation and the natural conflict that enters the relationship as children seek their own pathways, and you have a story rife with secrets, mysteries and even regrets. Such is the case with Margot and her Korean-born mother Mina. It’s been a year since they spent time together, phone calls were getting more infrequent, and Margot decides that after several attempts, she needed to go to her mother’s house. Finding Mina dead in her apartment leads to a whole series of guilts and conflicted feelings for Margot, many tinged with the frustrations and anger of so much lost and unknown.

Contrasting Margot’s story in the present with her mother’s voice sharing her own struggles and fears about her new country, the new language, customs and her newborn daughter, we find correlations and contrasts in the two stories, and questions that arise for Margot concerning her mother’s death. Secrets are uncovered, and Margot is, albeit too late, learning the ‘reasons’ behind some of her mother’s behaviors and concerns: concerns and behaviors that frustrated her and led to many fraught moments and their ultimate semi-estrangement.

While not a perfectly balanced story as I found Mina’s moments more striking, the balance that Kim struck between the ‘Americanized’ version of Margot with the more ‘traditional’ Mina provided moments that sang, even as the mystery element wasn’t as well incorporated. The prose is lovely, the issues are the same as any other mother-daughter relationship – with the added stressors of finding a way to hold on to what is important to your sense of self while still managing to function and assimilate into a place that is both very different and even seeks to ‘instill a sense of shame’ into the desire to hold on to your past. From food and the comfort and familiarity it brings to the moments that are purely heartfelt and often heartbreaking, this was an interesting read that shows similarities, differences and common experiences for us all.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aNe”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

Deeply poignant. I sank into this beautifully written story and just stayed there. I love discovering debut authors and she will fill you with all the feels. Not to be missed. Happy reading!

.This is an excellent debut novel by this author. The story is told through alternating chapters between Mina and her daughter Margot. Mina is an immigrant from Korea living in Koreatown in L.A. Margot, not understanding how difficult her mother’s life has been, has always been ashamed and frustrated with her. As time goes on their relationship becomes more distant and now Mina is not answering the phone when Margot calls. Margot fearing something is wrong goes to check on her and finds out she has died. We go back and forth between the characters and find out how challenging Mina’s life has really been and hopefully for Margot to have a better understanding of her mother. I was very interested in learning about Mina’s immigrant experience and how hard her struggle really was. Sadly it is so hard to assimilate in the new culture and especially with the language barrier. I really appreciated that this was an own voices book.

Margot comes to LA with a friend and is concerned when she can not reach her mother, Mina. When she finally arrives, she finds her mother has died. This leaves Margot with feelings of regret, anger, remorse, and curiosity. When she starts talking with her Mina’s friends, she finds out that her mother had many secrets and a life Margot knew nothing about.

Now this is where the story gets interesting! We, the reader get an insight into both Margot and Mina’s stories from their own points of view. Mina takes us back to when she first came to America and her journey up until her death. The insights into the Korean culture, the language barriers and immigration issues were fascinating. Margot is trying to come to terms with her mother’s death, her own sense of belonging and her memories of childhood. A griping tale of two fascinating women who are family yet knew so little about one another.
The author Nancy Jooyoun Kim did a brilliant job of weaving both women’s stories into one riveting novel. I enjoyed the depth and loved gaining insight into what immigrant’s face coming to a new country. Thank you so much to the Nancy Jooyoun Kim, Park Row Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book to review. It was fabulous!

The Last Story of Mina Lee tells the story of Margot whose been distant from her mother her whole life it takes a tragedy to begin investigating the truth about her mother. The other POV is Mina her mother who tells a powerful interesting story about immigration to the US under the strain of great grief.
Mina's story was for me the more emotional and interesting. I felt like I was really seeing something from her point of view. The fear of not having legal papers and therefore no recourse, the inability to understand the language, etc and all of that under the strain of her loss.
It is at times a bit hard to read on that account.
And it was a little hard to connect to Margot- though I did love her descriptions of LA..
The wrap up was a bit fast to and had a couple of random weird points but otherwise it was a good read.

I am so impressed this is a debut novel. As I am sure that you already heard, this is a Book of the Month pick for September. If you been wondering about this one, pick it up! I do not know what it’s like to be a Korean American, but as the daughter of an immigrant who didn’t immigrate here or speak English until her 20s, this story hit close to home. This story is told an alternating chapters between mother and daughter and I felt myself being able to relate to the daughter especially. As a thriller and mystery lover, I loved the mystery aspect of this novel. I did not find this one predictable as I had no idea how this one was going to end. I did find the ending unpredictable and satisfying. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy character driven mysteries and dramas.

Thank you Park Row books and netgalley with providing me w/ this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Story of Mina Lee by Nancy Jooyoun Kim sets up what should be a powerful story of the immigrant experience and an emotional story of the relationship between a mother and a daughter. The story has amazing potential but somehow manages to stay at a distance from its themes. It feels like the story is told not lived and the emotion of the story remains just out of reach.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2020/09/the-last-story-of-mina-lee.html

Reviewed for Netgalley and a publisher's blog tour.