I like a pleasant chunky learn over the Christmas holidays. Time on my arms means I can deal with one giant, formidable story over a complete week and simply settle into one other world. We don’t have fun Christmas, and we attempt to keep away from journey throughout these holidays (too costly, too crowded) in order that frees up a number of time for me to wander into one other world and immerse myself in it.
This time, the world was 90s New York peopled with first and second-generation Koreans.
About Free Meals for Millionaires
Casey Han’s 4 years at Princeton gave her many issues, “However no job and quite a few unhealthy habits.” Casey’s mother and father, who dwell in Queens, are Korean immigrants working in a dry cleaner, desperately making an attempt to carry on to their tradition and their identification. Their daughter, however, has entered into rarified American society through scholarships. However after commencement, Casey sees the fact of getting costly habits with out the means to maintain them. As she navigates Manhattan, we see her life and the lives round her, culminating in a portrait of New York Metropolis and its world of haves and have-nots.
~ Synopsis from GoodReads
My Evaluation
Do you want books like David Copperfield, Middlemarch, or The Goldfinch? Then, Free Meals for Millionaires must be proper up your alley.
The e book begins off following the lifetime of Casey Han – a 20 one thing who’s torn between her need for freedom and the house to determine who she desires to be vs her immigrant mother and father’ goals of success for her.
The story quickly begins changing into bigger in scope going into the POVs of the folks round Casey – boyfriends, buddies, mother and father, making this extra a narrative concerning the Korean immigrant expertise than simply about Casey.
I beloved all of the clashes between the American hyperindividualized tradition and the category system vs her Asian roots. For Casey and the opposite Korean characters, the best way to success appears to be through the white higher class. Casey’s social {and professional} success is through her friendships and relationships with white of us. It’s fascinating that after she strikes away from them, she begins to battle. On the identical time, she cuts ties together with her mother and father, and lower unfastened, she struggles with understanding who she is.
She is a irritating character more often than not – she’s good, good even, however struggles with ending. Studying about her money owed and her over-spending was additionally nervousness inducing. I so badly wished to intervene and ask her to get herself checked for ADHD.
Finally, Casey realizes that she doesn’t need to play by the principles. She appears getting ready to declining a job supply that would assist her pay again her money owed and be financially safe. However the ending leaves us to resolve which path she ultimately takes – does she settle for taking on her Korean good friend and mentor’s retailer, or does she go into hat making (her solely pastime, and the one factor she enjoys doing), or does she promote her soul to funding banking? Casey is ambivalent about all her choices.
The e book ends on an emotional cliffhanger. We depart Casey nonetheless unsure about many issues in life, however not less than she’s made peace together with her emotional relationships. She’s surrounded by buddies and love, and hopefully that provides her the energy to make the selections she must make.
Do I believe she can have her fortunately ever after? I don’t assume so. This isn’t that type of e book, and she or he’s not that type of particular person. She’s going to all the time be somebody who’s indecisive and unsure about what she desires, somebody who overspends, and who could stay aimless for a couple of extra years. However the e book does finish on an optimistic be aware. She’s going to lastly settle for that she doesn’t must do it alone, and may settle for and provides love and help. Or not less than, that’s how I need to interpret the ending 🥹.
Would I like to learn extra about Casey Han? Sure, I might. I’m so curious concerning the life trajectory of such a exceptional character, a lot unrealized potential, but additionally somebody so self-destructive.