3.5 rounded up. There was so much I loved about this book, particularly the flashback to the protagonist's youth in Korea, but what kept this from being a 5-star book was the unevenness of tone in places. While I understand the author likely wanted to throw in some levity, I thought some of the more farcical ideas (the medispa situation, for instance) really clashed with the seriousness of the rest of the novel. I really felt that whole section took me out of the story and I didn't really get into it until after that was over. I'm all for a bit of lightheartedness and even flippant social commentary, but I prefer it to be made in a linear way, whereas this flip-flopped between frivolous and heartbreaking.

That being said, it was a very good read in places, and another one I imagine will end up on many Best Of lists by the end of the year and into 2023. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The latest from adult and YA novelist Lee (Somebody’s Daughter) tells the story of Yungman Kwak, an aging physician and Korean immigrant who is thrust into retirement when his hospital closes abruptly. What follows is two stories: one of Yungman coping with the burdens of his past, and one of him facing the inevitability of his future. Lee seeks to cover a lot of ground with The Evening Hero: the American dream, work ethic and values, the casual and outright aggression immigrants deal with in the modern world, the racing nature of time, and more. This ambitious scope means the novel sometimes lacks focus, never quite deciding what story it’s trying to tell. Where Lee’s writing shines is in the details, as she flexes her creative muscles to fill Yungman’s story with historical accuracy and a true-to-life depiction of the depth of humanity. Wholesome and engaging overall, The Evening Hero ultimately results in a captivating tale of human struggle and survival.

Masterfully written story of one immigrant's American dream and all that stands in its way. Dr. Yungman Kwak -- obstetrician in small town Minnesota -- finds his world crumbling when the hospital closes and a surprising letter from past arrives.

What an interesting book! There were parts that I felt were magical and parts that fell pretty flat for me.
This story is a bit of historical fiction that I really have mixed emotions about. The essential story- a Korean American Doctor- Yungman Kwak, is forced into retirement and must face some ghosts of his past, as well as what to do in the present.
The protagonist, Yungman, the Evening Hero- as his name means in Korean initially comes across as sort of a bland - work obsessed doctor that is bewildered by the reactions of his family and friends. He notes ruefully that he isn't living up to his name, but notes that he also prefers it to his younger brothers name which translates to "vegetable hero" . Yung man has done what he believes was expected as a doctor, husband and father, but missed the mark when it came to understanding people- especially his family. He is saddened and mystified by his wife's deep involvement with a mega- church and his son's seeming love affair with capitalism. As Yungman navigates through his unexpected free time, trying out a crazy job in medical retail, spending time with his friend, and trying to connect with his wife and family, he revisits his past- and tells a harrowing and painful but engrossing story of his life. As each segment of his life is revealed, Yungman becomes more human, and more likable. By the end, I was thrilled to see the resolution of some of his deepest insecurities.
For me, some of the characters seemed somewhat cartoonish- but I've considered that this may have been intentional by the author, rather than just a lack of depth.
Overall, a very interesting read, and one that I would recommend to folks that enjoy historical fiction, and want to learn more about Korea.

I loved it. Part dark comedy, part searing commentary, part immigrant story, and all completely human. I truly enjoyed reading this story. There were several laugh-out-loud moments. Yungman Kwak (AKA The Evening Hero) is one of the most interesting, nuanced, and truly delightful fictional characters than I have ever come across in literature. I felt like he could have easily walked right off the page and into my life. He was simultaneously relatable, and frustrating. There were times where I loved him and times that I was angry with him, but his journey, and this story was essential.

Wonderfully written and I highly recommend it. Although the character is Korean and an immigrant I think this story has wide appeal. Kwak's disillusionment with the American dream and his struggles to find a fulfilling life and heal from past traumas as well as come to terms with his bad decisions are ultimately and experience many Americans have. Additionally it's an opportunity to learn more about the Korean/American relationship politically in a way that is engaging as well as knowledgeable.

Read it. I don't think you would regret it.

It took me a few chapters to get into this book, but once I did, I was utterly engrossed. In terms of scope and scale, it reminded me of Pachinko by Min Jin Lee and The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois by Honorée Jeffers; though both of those books span generations and The Evening Hero focuses on just one man's life, it manages to feel almost as sweeping - and really, you could argue Dr. Yungman Kwak has lived two lives, one in Korea and one in America. 

It's expansive, as well, in the emotions it elicits. There were times I was snort-laughing - while I would by no means recommend this to anyone seeking a "light" read, there were some sharp, delightful moments of levity. There were other times I felt enraged or heartbroken - especially the backstory of his childhood during the war, which this book taught me a lot about. (I found these parts the most engaging.) And there were times I found myself shrugging along at the absurdity of the US healthcare system, then - just like Yungman - jolting into a realization of how utterly wrong it is. You could describe it as historical fiction or contemporary satire, and you'd be right on both counts. 

My sympathies for Yungman, his wife, and (to a lesser extent) his son swung wildly throughout the first half of the book, then settled into a kind of balance by the end. I'm extremely impressed by the author's ability to write such multi-layered characters - with all their complexities, flaws, regrets, and desires (to belong, to be loved, to do better). 

This is an awesome book in the purest sense of the world. I will definitely be reading it again when it's released.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my ARC.

The evening hero is a story almost too big to wrap your arms around,; almost. It is a sweeping, heartbreaking, hysterical and deeply moving story of a Korean immigrant OB-Gyn doctor, living in small town USA. The novel moves to the origin story of Yungman Kwak and his family in Korea, during the Korean War and back to the present in the US. Incredibly researched, The Evening Hero immersed me in the culture of the people of North and South Korea, the horror of war, the insanity of politics and power and the hardships of immigration. Dr. Younman Kwak is a character that I won't forget. This is one of the best books I have read this year and loved following the journey of the Evening Hero. Five easy stars and a huge thanks to Netgalley and publishers.

This book features Dr. Yungman, alternating between Korea and the US and the experiences he faced in each location. Some parts of the book really dragged for me, but overall it was a good. It wouldn't be top of my recommendations list but it wasn't bad. It just didn't jump out as spectacular to me..

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

Thank you to NetGalley, Marie Myung-Ok Lee, and Simon & Schuster for my arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

"The Evening Hero" is first and foremost not an easy book to read. It is a multilayered story about the "American Dream" and what that really means. I have to admit that I struggled with reading this book; it's painfully and beautifully written with some satirical and comedic moments but the story is just so heartbreaking and tough. That said, I do think it's a story that needs to be told and needs to be read.

Yungman Kwak reminded me so much of my elder uncles and my grandpas. Some of the ways he's treated by his family made it difficult for me to read cause I mean, he's trying and he cares so much and sacrificed so much. I don't want to give too much of the story away, but I just need more people to read this because of how good it is.

Lee is such a prolific writer and this offering is a perfect example of their abilities.

THE EVENING HERO by Marie Myung-Ok Lee is a sweeping portrayal of one Korean American man’s grappling with his hidden past, his chosen profession’s disintegration, and his strained relationships with his wife and son. The novel takes us from Dr. William Kwak’s role as his town’s sole OB-Gyn physician in modern-day rural Minnesota all the way back to his childhood - as Kwak Yungman- during the Korean War and his coming of age in its aftermath.

In the present-day storyline, Dr. Kwak contends with the profit-driven closure of his town’s hospital by the medical conglomerate that recently bought it out. His son, Einstein, who is also an OB-Gyn, has a very different approach to medicine - and to life - and convinces him to work in “retail medicine” in the Twin Cities, serving as a glorified technician lasering off pubic hair. Full of tongue-in-cheek humor bordering on satire, Lee renders intergenerational immigrant family tensions, the medical-industrial complex, the vulnerability of being an immigrant of color in a small Minnesota town, and the lingering effects of trauma with astute precision.

The parts of the novel set in the past, detailing Yungman’s difficult childhood and the way his single mother persevered through war and poverty, are deeply moving. I learned so much about the Korean War, the Americans’ destructive attitude, and the way the armistice fractured families and the very soul of a nation. Lee captures so well the way immigrants can tuck away their heartbreaking pasts, never even hinting at them, as they seek to build new lives in their adopted countries. But is there such a thing as a clean break?

Lee’s versatility as a writer is impressive; stylistically, she shifts from dark humor that feels very current and relevant to expansive, lyrical historical fiction. She manages to make present and past meet in a wistful, hopeful ending.

Perhaps because I see so much of Yungman in people who are dear to me, I was quickly enamored with him - first generation immigrant cringey awkwardness and all. I did want to hear more from Young-ae, his wife and medical school classmate, who remained somewhat of an enigma to me throughout. Ultimately, this is a profound novel about the immigrant experience and the deceit of the American Dream, as well as about the effects of Japanese colonialism and U.S. interference on Korea and its people.
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If you can’t tell, I highly recommend this novel. It’s BEHOLD THE DREAMERS (Imbolo Mbue) (for its different take on the American Dream) meets PACHINKO (Min-Jin Lee) (for its gripping Korean historical fiction) meets JOAN IS OKAY (Weike Wang) (for its sharp commentary on immigrant life and U.S. health care).

I really enjoyed the different storylines in this book, going back and forth from present day Minnesota and Dr. william Kwak, to his past as a young boy during the Korean War. It was a great book about immigrants, how the promise of America isn't always as it seems, and the feeling of being between two places. I also liked the story of Dr. Kwak's son, also a doctor.

The Evening Hero is the tale of Yungman Kwak, a Korean doctor who has spent most of his life in the US. The book goes back and forth in time, from the present, to his years growing up in Korea and his life in the US as a young father.

This book was a little hit and miss for me. The parts of the book that took place in Korea were enjoyable and meaningful. The characters felt more developed in these sections, and I appreciated learning about the culture and history. Most of the parts set in the US, especially sections about the clinic where Yungman and his son worked, were not as engaging.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I feel like I'm definitely going against the grain of other early reviewers, and maybe I wasn't personally in the right place to be reading The Evening Hero, but I really kind of hated it. I really enjoyed reading Beasts of a Little Land last fall, and before that, Pachinko. Both are beautiful and epic, sweeping stories of Korean history so I wanted to read this book. I just couldn't connect with it. The going back and forth between time made it harder for me to follow. The uneventfulness that Yungman sunk into, working as an Ob-Gyn in a small town in Minnesota after a tumultuous life in Korea as a child and a young man felt boring and tedious to me. The superficialness of his American born son, Einstein, who never really had to work hard for anything, and expects handouts from his parents when he gambles on his future annoyed me even though I know it was an ironic look at the direction of our healthcare system. Einstein's wife and son are just as appalling. So are his wife's friends from church. Much of the book felt like mundane events loosely connected together and I had a hard time staying awake through parts of it. Sadly, the shortest part of the book was about Yungman's time growing up in Korea, which was really the most insightful and emotionally powerful part of the story for me. And despite this being a rather long book, it felt like there were many things left unresolved - Yungman's life after being a doctor, Yungman's relationship with his son and Einstein's family, a medical disagreement with a former patient, his relationship with his fellow doctor Ken, the state of his relationship with his brother and his brother's family. Maybe the intent was not to provide that closure, but after hundreds of pages reading about things like the completely unnecessary medical procedures Yungman was doing on behalf of his son's "medical" institution in the Mall of America and the Kimms' obsession with expensive ginseng, I felt like I'd earned more closure than I received. I will fully confess to not necessarily loving satire, and this book definitely has its share of it, but I think I could have overlooked my lack of love for it if I'd been better able to emotionally connect with Yungman and his relationships with those close to him in life. A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Very interesting, thought provoking. Read it.

A book that talks about American and Korean culture in a serious way but is also somehow funny? Yes, please! I sort of wish the main character was a woman though, I don’t really have a lot of interest in men’s stories. I did find the writing to be great and the timeline to be tight (which is not true in a lot of other books!). An interesting look at what i means to try to heal from war.

What a stunning novel! With amazing storytelling and a combination of social satire and devastating historical insight into the Korean War, The Evening Hero is the story of a Korean American doctor, from his childhood in war-torn Korea to the near future.

Dr. Yungman Kwak is almost a pathetic character, a nuisance to his wife, hopelessly anachronistic to his son, filled with guilt for leaving a brother behind in Korea. In Minnesota, he is surrounded by Finns named Maki who think he is Chinese and patients displaying anti-immigrant signs. His frustrated wife, who in Korea would have been a successful doctor, spends all her time volunteering at a Christian church run by the Kimm family.

After the rural hospital closes, Dr Kwak is forced to retire, but he has no hobbies, nor even a bucket list. His son Einstein Albert Schweitzer Nobel Kwak is part of a new venture and gets his dad a position in Retailicine, medical care offered in mall-based retail outlets. At the mall HoSPAtal, Dr. Kwak performs Brazilians on his ‘patients’.

In comparison to his life in America, the back story of how his family survived the Korean War, how he got into medical school, and the courtship of his wife, reveals a different man, a man of courage and persistence. It’s also a horrendous story of survival and loss. Continual war and devastation, from the Japanese occupation to the arbitrary division of Korea after the war, will likely be a revelation to most American readers.

“Sometimes, Yungman wishes he had something akin to a computer chip, a floppy disk he could just insert in his friend’s head and Ken would experience and learn and know exactly what he’d gone through, from age ten to now.”
The Evening Hero by Marie Myung-Ok Lee

When the doctor and his wife join with Doctors Without Borders to return to North Korea, the area he knew as ‘home’, he finally lives up to his name–The Evening Hero–for its never too late in life to fulfill one’s legacy and duty.

I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.

The Evening Hero is such a beautifully written book. I gained a new perspective on Korea. The sufferings of the Korean people is unimaginable. The book covers many important topics. All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It truly is an incredibly written historical novel, and I highly recommend.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange of my honest opinion.

This novel is such an incredible piece of historical fiction, and one that covers an oft-forgotten time and perspective in history.

"The Evening Hero" tells the story of Yungman Kwak, a Korean-American doctor who lives and works in Horse's Breath, a small community in Minnesota when his life is upturned after the announcement of the hospital's closing. We get to see Yungman's interactions with fellow doctors and nurses, his wife Young Ae, and his relationship with his son Einstein and his Einstein's own family, including his wife (Yungman's daughter-in-law) Marni. The novel also makes numerous flashbacks to Yungman's childhood growing up in a war-torn Korea in the midst of the Korean War, and the struggles his family went through during that time and what it actually took for Yungman to attend medical school and move his life to America.

There are so many weighty and important topics Marie Myung-Ok Lee covers in this novel: racism (and not just towards Asian Americans), the treatment of immigrants, the capitalization of our healthcare systems and medical care, the ties of family and our pasts, and perhaps most importantly, the complicated and difficult history of Korea during the 20th century, as it served as the battleground between American and Russian forces and put its own people under unbelievable and impossible situations. Admittedly this is not a period in history I am knowledgeable about, but Lee offers a heart-wrenching perspective on what so many people went through during this time, and lays the foundation for the political and cultural intricacies for the present.

The novel sways between tones of pure satire and ridiculousness to ones of weighty seriousness and heart-breaking situations, juxtaposing the gravitas of the past to the near-hilarious events that Yungman encounters in the past. She's also crafted a host of complex and multi-layered characters that include not only Yungman, but his wife, peers, and mother that you can't help but feel for each of their individual situations. All-in-all, this novel was such a delight to read and although it not the easiest nor lightest storyline, it is one that I will cherish and re-read in the future.

The Evening Hero
By Marie Myung-Ok Lee

It is said that history is written by the winners – and this seems to be a true statement. However, this book presents a Korean-American doctor, Yungman Kwak, and tells his story from a poverty-stricken childhood in a small village under the Japanese occupation through the Korean War to his emigration to the US to become a doctor and to raise a family as an outsider in Minnesota.

This is a tale of what it is like to never fit in, whether in your own home country or an adopted country. Yungman is a bright and hard-working young man who, through his own efforts, the support of his younger brother (whom he abandons in Korea), and a bit of luck, becomes a physician and a US citizen. He is married to a woman he has loved all his life, but he feels she was tricked into marrying him by an unplanned pregnancy which left her dreams shattered. Yungman always feels he is not good enough for her and that she maybe does not love him.

Through a series of circumstances, Yungman and his wife decide to return to Korea under the auspices of Doctors without Borders, to help with a humanitarian crisis. They also want to return to their past, to honor their ancestors as is the Korean tradition and to revisit what they left behind.

This is a wonderful book. It addresses the Korean Peninsula and all the sufferings of the Korean peoples – both North and South – brought on by the interference of other nations: Japan, Russia, China and the United States. These nations treated the people of Korea as lesser beings, never realizing that they too were people. I gained a new perspective on – and a great sympathy for – a nation I knew almost nothing about.

The Evening Hero, the Korean translation of Yungman, is a broad, generational story about fear, grief, regret, hope, family, and redemption.

On this journey, the reader follows Dr. Yungman Kwak from his traumatic childhood in Korea to his life trying to reach the promise of the American Dream. Although this book is fictional, it is clear that Lee put a tremendous amount of effort into researching the history of the Korean War and the conflict between North and South Korea. The writing in this book is lyrical, but do not expect something fast paced. It takes the author time to build this story, and no detail is left unturned. Although this book is in no way a thriller, I really enjoyed the ominous hints that Yungman had an unforgivable secret.

Yungman’s journey highlights the heartbreaking reality of culture and identity loss when immigrants are forced to assimilate to avoid prejudice. I developed a great respect for Yungman’s perseverance, but hated him for abandoning his only family.

The ending of this book completely satisfied me, it was beautiful how the author brought the Kwans back to Korea to honor their families.