Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko is a sweeping, multigenerational saga that explores identity, resilience, and belonging through the lens of a Korean family living in Japan.

Spanning nearly a century—from Japanese-occupied Korea in the early 1900s to bustling Tokyo in the 1980s—Pachinko follows Sunja, the daughter of a humble fisherman, whose unplanned pregnancy sets her on a path of migration, sacrifice, and survival. As her descendants grapple with discrimination, ambition, and cultural displacement, the novel delves into themes of family loyalty, historical injustice, and the quiet dignity of everyday life. The title refers to the Japanese gambling game, symbolizing both chance and the systemic barriers faced by Koreans in Japan. With lyrical prose and emotional depth, Lee crafts a powerful narrative about the costs of endurance and the search for home in a world that often refuses to offer it