Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

“There could only be a few winners and a lot of losers. And yet we played on, because we had hope that we might be the lucky ones.”

Pachinko is a historical fiction novel taking place in Korea and Japan during the years of Japanese colonialism in Korea (and the years beyond). The story follows Sunja, a young Korean woman who accepts an offer of marriage from a kind minister after falling pregnant and discovering her lover is already married. The newlyweds immigrate to Japan and what follows is a dramatic, heartfelt saga of a family enduring prejudice and surviving in a land where they are not welcomed.

I loved the historical detail and was fascinated by the dynamics between Korea and Japan. I knew very little about the history going into this story and it was a sad, eye-opening introduction to the prejudice and hardships of Korean people in the early 20th century. Pachinko is a metaphor for hope in the face of overwhelming odds and Sunja’s life is one of misfortune and endurance. I fell in love with the family though and with every page turned, I kept constant hope that they would be one of the lucky ones to come out on top.