Min Jin Lee Books
Min Jin Lee is a Korean American author born in Seoul and raised in New York City. She graduated from Yale College and studied law at Georgetown University.
Known for: Free Food for Millionaires, Pachinko
Books by Min Jin Lee
Free Food for Millionaires
Set in New York City, this debut novel follows Casey Han, a Princeton graduate navigating the clash between her Korean immigrant upbringing and the elite world she aspires to join. Through Casey’s str...
Pachinko
Pachinko is a sweeping multigenerational saga that follows a Korean family living in Japan from the early 20th century through the late 1980s. Beginning in a small Korean fishing village, the story tr...
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The Return to Queens: Colliding Worlds
When Casey Han leaves Princeton, she doesn’t step into the life she imagined. Instead, she drags her suitcase into her parents’ narrow apartment in Flushing, Queens, where the rhythm of her old life resists her new identity. Her father, Joseph Han, runs a dry-cleaning shop. His hands are hardened by...
From Free Food for Millionaires
In Manhattan: The Education of Desire
Determined not to return to the modest life her parents envision, Casey steps into Manhattan’s social whirl. There she becomes both an observer and a participant in the elaborate theater of wealth. Through the generosity of acquaintances and lovers, she finds herself brushing shoulders with bankers,...
From Free Food for Millionaires
Foundations in Yeongdo: The Beginning of a Family’s History
In the fishing village of Yeongdo, near Busan, the story begins with Hoonie—a man born with a cleft palate and a limp, yet blessed with a gentle spirit and an unshakable sense of duty. Against the backdrop of Korea under Japanese occupation, Hoonie and his wife Yangjin create a modest home and run a...
From Pachinko
Sunja and Hansu: Love, Temptation, and the Weight of Choice
Sunja’s encounter with Hansu changes everything. Hansu is rich, smooth, and ambitious—a Korean working within the Japanese system, profiting from illegal trade yet deeply aware of his inferior social standing as a colonized man. Their brief relationship represents the complex intersection of power, ...
From Pachinko
About Min Jin Lee
Min Jin Lee is a Korean American author born in Seoul and raised in New York City. She graduated from Yale College and studied law at Georgetown University. Her works often explore the Korean diaspora and issues of identity, history, and resilience. Pachinko, her second novel, was a finalist for the...
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Min Jin Lee is a Korean American author born in Seoul and raised in New York City. She graduated from Yale College and studied law at Georgetown University. Her works often explore the Korean diaspora and issues of identity, history, and resilience. Pachinko, her second novel, was a finalist for the...
Min Jin Lee is a Korean American author born in Seoul and raised in New York City. She graduated from Yale College and studied law at Georgetown University. Her works often explore the Korean diaspora and issues of identity, history, and resilience. Pachinko, her second novel, was a finalist for the National Book Award and has been widely acclaimed for its depth and historical insight.
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Min Jin Lee is a Korean American author born in Seoul and raised in New York City. She graduated from Yale College and studied law at Georgetown University.
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