Soon Wiley

Broschiertes Buch

When We Fell Apart

A Novel

Beschreibung

ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2022:  Harper’s Bazaar  •  Vogue  •  Good Housekeeping  •  CrimeReads  •  BookBub  •  Veranda  •  Shondaland  •  Debutiful  •  PureWow •  and more! A profoundly moving and suspenseful drama that untangles the complicated ties that bind families together—or break them apart—as a young Korean American man’s search for answers about his girlfriend’s mysterious death becomes a soul-searching journey into his own bi-cultural identity When the Seoul police inform Min that his girlfriend Yu-jin has committed suicide, he’s sure it can't be true. She was successful, ambitious, happy, just on the cusp of graduating from university and claiming the future she’d always dreamed of.    Min, on the other hand, born to an American father and Korean mother, has never felt quite the same certainty as Yu-jin about his life’s path. After growing up in California, where he always felt “too Korean” to fit in, he’s moved to Seoul in the hope that exploring his Korean heritage will help him find a sense of purpose. And when he meets Yu-jin, little does he know that their carefree relationship will set off a chain of events with tragic consequences for them both.   Devastated by Yu-jin’s death, Min throws himself into finding out why she could have secretly wanted to die. Or did she? With a controlling and powerful government official father, and a fraught friendship with her alluring and destructive roommate So-ra, Yu-jin’s life was much more complex than she chose to reveal to Min. And the more he learns about her, the more he begins to doubt he ever really knew her at all. As Yu-jin’s story—a fraught exploration of selfhood, coming-of-age, and family expectations—collides with Min’s, the result is an engrossing page-turner that poses powerful, urgent questions about cultural identity, family bonds, secrets, and what it truly means to belong. "Transportive and poignant." —Susie Yang "Spellbinding." —Jamie Ford "A young writer to watch." —Jess Walter "Unforgettable." —Abi Daré "The most compelling debut novel I've read in years." —Alexander Chee "Heart-stopping and exquisitely plotted." —Patricia Engel "Will stay with me for a long time."—Angie Kim "Gorgeous." —Julia Phillips

Autor

A native of Nyack, New York, Soon Wiley received his BA in English & Philosophy from Connecticut College. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Wichita State University. His writing has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and earned him fellowships in Wyoming and France. He resides in Connecticut with his wife and their two cats. When We Fell Apart is his debut novel.

Produktdetails

• Penguin Publishing Group
• Verlag: Random House
• Seitenzahl: 384
• Erscheinungstermin: 18. April 2023
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 203mm x 132mm x 20mm
• Gewicht: 395g
• ISBN-13: 9780593185162
• ISBN-10: 0593185161
• Artikelnr.: 67083238

Rezensionen

'A fascinating insight into contemporary Seoul and a poignant tale of not feeling at home anywhere, except with other lost souls' Jessie Burton, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Miniaturist and Medusa

'Propulsive and deeply felt, Soon Wiley's phenomenal debut When We Fell Apart takes on the friction between family bonds, cultural expectations, and personal desires in a way that feels both urgent and intensely real... truly unforgettable' Abi Daré, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl with the Louding Voice

'When We Fell Apart is a marvellous debut novel, moving and suspenseful, a reminder that the greatest mysteries are those of being and

belonging. Soon Wiley is a young writer to watch' Jess Walter, New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Ruins and The Cold Millions

'A lyrical exposition on what it's like to be biracial, with one foot firmly planted in two distinct worlds, never completely fitting in, but capable of seeing what others do not. A lonely, heartbreaking, spellbinding story of love, self-discovery, and belonging' Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

'Melancholic, atmospheric, and consistently surprising. Like Norwegian Wood, there is a minor key running through this love story played out on the frenetic and lonely streets of Seoul. When We Fell Apart is a transportive and poignant debut' Susie Yang, New York Times bestselling author of White Ivy

'When We Fell Apart explores the tender and chaotic intersections of culture, community and the search for self. Rich with philosophical nuance, heart-stopping and exquisitely plotted, this is a novel to get lost in' Patricia Engel, New York Times bestselling author of Infinite Country

'This gorgeous debut... explores youth, sexuality, and the freedom to choose your own destiny in a world that keeps insisting on who you should be and how you should love' Julia Phillips, author of Disappearing Earth

'A masterful plot that seems to move in two directions at the same time, towards the inexorable, stunning ending - unforgettable' Alexander Chee, author of Queen of the Night and How to Write an Autobiographical Novel

'In this gorgeous, poignant meditation on identity, love, and desire, Soon Wiley illuminates the liminal state of being biracial, of belonging but not, of desperately wanting the world to let you be as you are' Angie Kim, author of Miracle Creek

'When We Fell Apart dazzles like neon on a rainy night. In lush, perfectly-tuned prose, Soon Wiley leads readers around dark corners and into the heart of a kaleidoscopic city... a magical debut' Amy Gentry, author of Good as Gone and Bad Habits

'I loved this novel! An absorbing mystery and poignant love story, When We Fell Apart is profoundly moving, beautifully written and utterly compelling' Susan Elliot Wright, author of All You Ever Wanted

'Wiley's debut novel is poignant and powerful and will leave readers questioning who is and isn't awarded the freedom to be their truest self' Shondaland

'Wiley has masterfully woven a story where his two protagonists come from very different experiences and places, yet share the struggle to carve out their own identities. Set in modern-day Seoul, it's also a love letter to Korea itself, but one that doesn't pull any punches' The Asian American Podcast

'Wiley tells parallel stories in alternating, brief chapters - Min's and Yu-jin's, one a roller-coaster of suspense and suspicion, the other a gradual awakening' USA Today

'Emotional and gripping' Hello

'Propulsive' Good Housekeeping

'Wiley's tale is a knockout, its assured narrative ebbing and flowing with grace while painting a haunting and anguished portrait of youth in all its quiet desperation' Booklist