Episode Details

Welcome to a special MIN JIN LEE triple header to celebrate her new novel, AMERICAN HAGWON. Part 1: We talk about AMERICAN HAGWON in the first part of the episode. The novel publishes on 9/29, and if you haven’t already preordered or reserved a copy at your library, consider this your reminder to do so. It’s an excellent reading experience, from the characters to their situations to the writing itself. It’s a multigenerational, multi-family, multi-location saga that we didn't want to end. Part 2: We share the conversation we had with Min Jin Lee about PACHINKO that was recorded live at RJ Julia Booksellers in Madison, CT, way back in 2018 (and featured on Episode 41). Part 3: In 2019, we chose FREE FOOD FOR MILLIONAIRES as a readalong pick. The first part of this segment is from Episode 89 and includes our conversation about the novel, and then Min joins us for a more in-depth discussion. Breaking news: Min used to say she was writing a trilogy, but has recently announced she’s writing a quartet of the Korean diaspora experience. Her fourth novel is titled Marshall Plan. There’s no pub date yet, but you can bet we’ll be on the lookout. We’re happy to report that the memoir Min mentions in Part 3 is still in the works. Thanks for listening, and we wish you lots of Happy Reading! https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2026/episode269