What I loved about The Evening Hero, which is beautifully written family melodrama and not-so-hidden political commentary about the state of America's health care system, is that the work did not start with the historical background of the characters and how they were affected by the Korean War. It is very easy in a work so large in scope to delve more so into context rather than character development, which sometimes can lead a novel down a rabbit hole of dense information rather than devoting its time to the narrative and how the story connects to that information.

We are thrust into the world of Yungman Kwak, an older OB-GYN who loses his job at a closing hospital, has a wife that is not seemingly interested in him anymore, and a vapid son (Einstein) who has no interest in his heritage and is married to an equally vapid wife, quite early on. This first part of the book helps readers get invested in Yungman, so we can get a better sense of what takes place in the second part of the book, where we are exposed to a secret that he has been hiding from his current family for decades. This secret, in a way, has weighed him down, and this gives our protagonist a depth that we can see much more clearly in part three, where we come back to Yungman going through his present day issues once again. with a bit more clarity The organization of the work makes the reading of the text smoother and easier to digest.

At times, the historical aspect of the novel does get a bit heavy-handed, especially for those that may not be overly familiar with Korean history; however, all and all, The Evening Hero is a novel that has focus which is more devoted to one person rather than the world that surrounds him...and that makes all the difference.

3 1/2 stars rounded up. Dr. Kwak has worked in Horse Breath's women's clinic for 50 years. It is his identity and his passion. He moved from South Korea to America after the war and found what he believed was the perfect life (and an escape from decisions made in Korea). When the hospital is closed down, he discovers he does not know how to live life without that identity or use of time. His wife has become distant and he doesn't really know his son. When given the opportunity to work with his son, he soon discovers that he might not fit into the new age of medicine.

This is a story of finding purpose, as well as building the relationships that truly matter. It is finding identity and embracing where one comes from and who they want to be. It was hard to read about the discrimination from Americans to the Koreans. Knowing the people of South Korea, I can't imagine treating such good people that way. It was a good reminder to love every neighbor! While it did move slowly, the overall message was worth the read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, especially because the premise sounded fascinating, but after the first bunch of chapters of the book, I found myself becoming less interested and the book wasn't able to keep my interest anymore. Ultimately, after reading it over the span of three months and only make it about halfway through, I DNFed the book for now and may go back and look into it again in the future. It just wasn't working for me.

I will say that it does have a lot of Korean history and information so people may find that fascinating! The character's jumping back and forth was just jarring to me in a way that took me out of the story, but that clearly wasn't the case for the majority of readers.

Thank you to the publisher, Simon and Schuster, and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC.

I really enjoyed "The Evening Hero" by Marie Myung-Ok Lee. In he novel we follow Dr Yungman Kwak first in the present as he faces the challenges of our healthcare system. Soon we go back in time and then see how his life unfolded. There are numerous topics in this novel, healthcare, the immigrant dream vs the reality, and Korean history and it's a thought provoking novel.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Evening Hero is the latest contemporary fiction novel that caught my eye. Written by Marie Myung-Ok Lee, this book boasts a stunning cover and an even more intriguing description, and you know that's all it takes with me!

Dr. Yungman Kwak has worked hard to get to where he is. He is proud of his work at Horse Breath's General Hospital, where he helps women and babies in this rural town. It's a quiet life, but a happy one.

That is until a letter threatens to dredge up the past he has run from. Now he must choose, reveal the truth and face the consequences, or try to hide the truth but risk a different set of consequences.

The Evening Hero is a breathtaking novel, to put it simply. It is so evocative and emotional that it is impossible to feel anything other than utterly invested in Dr. Yungman Kwak's story, that much I can assure you!

The simple truth is that the truth is anything but simple. Likewise, this story is rich and complex, full of character depth (and development), subplots, relevant points, and history. It's a lot to take in all at once, so many readers (myself included) may do well to take a break here and there. I can't speak for everyone, but this helped me better absorb the story.

Honestly, I'm struggling to find the words to describe this book or how it made me feel. Now and then, I'll come across a book that defies my explanation, and I think The Evening Hero is one of them. All I can say is that this book I worth reading, so please check it out.

The parts of this book that deal with Dr. Yungman Kwak in his current state were not interesting or entertaining but were a bit comical in a sad way. My favorite portion of the book was Dr. Yungman’s reflections; on what he survived, and what his country had survived. The author’s knowledge and beautiful prose during this phase of the story are breathtaking. I’m so sorry for a 3 rating; the talent and beautiful imagery of the author were shadowed by the simple storytelling of the current life. I would love to see another book from this talented author, all written in the same mindset as Dr. Yungman’s memories.
Sincere thanks to Simon & Schuster for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book is now available.

I was drawn to this book by the Korean characters and history. I fell in love with the main character, Dr. Yungman Kwak, right away. We get insight into his thoughts and feelings, and he’s so endearing. His relationships with his co-workers, patients, wife and son are explored from his perspective throughout, and then we get some insight into his relationships with his family of origin that I wasn’t expecting. I thought the author did an excellent job of dropping us into his mind. I loved his sense of humor. There were a few pop culture references scattered throughout the second half of the book which I really enjoyed. It was hard to read some of the historical fiction elements of the war in Korea, but it was eye opening as well. I don’t know much about the Korean people who were affected by Japanese rule, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, American colonialism, etc. and this book made me want to learn so much more about Korean history. I found the book to be redeeming overall and highly recommend it.

Unfortunately, I only made it through about 20% of this book until I decided it wasn't for me. Although I was initially looking forward to finding out how things would unfold for Dr. Kwak and his family, the story seemed to progress very slowly with lots of information that felt irrelevant and unproductive. Nevertheless, many thanks to the author, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

The evening Hero is about Dr. Yungman Kwak , A Korean born man practicing medicine in the US. Dr, Kwak works at a small Minnessota hospital in a miner town, and finds out he and all of the other staff members are being let go because the hospital is shutting down. He has also received a threatening letter from someone who still lives in Korea, and is wanting to expose his past. The book goes between his current situation, as well as his childhood and what lead up to the current climate.

The book started off great, and the premise was interesting, but one part of it seemed to slow the book down to the point it took me longer to finish than it should have. There was also a storyline that was introduce that never got resolved. It felt like the ending was not complete. Otherwise, I enjoyed the rest of the book

Unfortunately this one was a DNF for me. It's written well, no complaints about that at all. The protagonist Yungman is the highlight of the book in my experience. He's very human, both sweet and sour, and his internal dialogue often made me chuckle. I was surprised at how well I could relate to a character who is nothing like myself in terms of life experience or demographic. That's a sign of great character creation on the author's part!

But I didn't really like anyone else. Young-ae never grew on me and I actively disliked Einstein, his wife, all of the church people. That combined with the fact that there really wasn't much in the way of plot, I struggled to continue. The only thing keeping me interested was the mystery of Yungman's past in Korea. That reveal started about one-third of the way into the story, just when I was going to quit, and from there up to just past the midpoint was interesting. Once I knew the background though, it was kind of like my curiosity was sated and I didn't feel compelled to continue.

I really dislike leaving negative reviews but I was given this book with the deal that I would post one. I'm one of those readers who believes my review is only for myself so if this book sounds good to you, please pick it up and try it for yourself. It might be the best book you've ever read so why let my silly little review stop you?

Note: I received a free electronic edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank them, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to do so.

Brilliant storytelling! Though it took me a while to get into it- I suspect this had more to do with the time of the year than the actual book- it was a memorable read. I recommend this book to people who, like me, love multicultural stories with layered characters.

The premise of this book sounded right up my alley, but unfortunately, I only made it a few pages in before the writing--with its odd turns of phrases--and the one-note characterizations made me want to put it down. Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the chance to read the ARC.

This writing is just not for me. And the content, while relevant and true, is dull. I think many readers will enjoy this book, really, but it's too droning for me and the characters are very one dimensional. We spend most of our time in Yungman's head which isn't necessarily a problem, but for some reason I don't feel much for Yungman, so reading his constant stream of thoughts isn't interesting.

**Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC**

Ms. Lee’s The Evening Hero covers the life of Dr. Kwak, an obstetrician facing retirement. Accounting different aspects of his life, including his childhood in a unified Korea, the tolls of war on his home, his family, and himself, and life in a new land in a small town in Minnesota - Dr. Kwak’s story paints a picture of how turbulent life can be in all phases. Kwak’s struggle to succeed, raise a son that is successful in a new nation, and remove himself from the burdens of his past makes for a long story, but an interesting one.

Story was compelling struggle of life as an immigrant in the US from Korea. I think the author did a good job and explaining the struggles of immigrants making their way and the family ties both back in Korea and in the US. A difficult story to read.

The Evening Hero was a dense read, but beautifully written. It’s very thought-provoking and raises some great points. I really loved the ending. It was beautiful and I just wanted to highlight and save the last few paragraphs forever. It’s a book about the human race and humanity and the broken health care system in the United States. It’s also about family and how we all just long for a home and our memories. This book will stick with me for a long time!

This was such an interesting and fascinating read! Somehow the author was able to perfectly blend a story that was rooted in historical fiction and a different reality present. It was captivating. I learned so much about Korean history and was able to spend sometime analyzing corporate America too.

I cannot recommend this book enough. I will be buying my own copy.

My father served as a heavy machinery repairman in the Korean war; so I've been drawn to Korean war novels.

In places the author seems to get on a soapbox and seemed a little preachy with political views; I would prefer to provide enough information for the reader to draw their own conclusions.

The primary character is an ob/gyn doctor at a small community hospital, primarily delivering babies. With cutbacks he is let go from his position when the hospital closes. There is a bit of a reconnection with his son when his son helps him find a job.

There are some really odd sequences, like the visit with the doctor's wife and the church group and drinking a strange liquor.

Two other novels about Korea are The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai and The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See. I really loved The Mountains Sing and appreciated having more foundation regarding Korean history.

The more I think about it, I'm rounding up to 4 stars. This book is really kind of an "odd duck". But I'm glad I read it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the advance read copy of The Evening Hero by Marie Myung-Ok Lee in exchange for an honest review, also thank you to the author and publisher.

This is a deeply emotional read. I felt like I was listening to my dad's life story come to life since the main characters are a part of the same generation. It is such a good read and made me really contemplate life. I take so much for granted really. Even as an immigrant, I have so much more life security and choices than my parents, and boy am I lucky. Recommend this immensely to young people because it gives you another perspective to life.


Thank you Net Galley for this advanced copy.

When I first requested this book, I was in the throes of a book hangover from Pachinko and this sounded like it might be just what I needed to get out of it. I was wrong. Both books will leave you thinking about them for weeks after you have finished. I honestly can't even tell you which book I enjoyed more. Sadly I was left in such an immense hangover state from reading the two books back to back that every book I attempted to read after just paled in comparison.

This is a book that lovers of Pachinko will enjoy. Highly recommend....Go, read it now!