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A deeply affecting and emotionally charged novel that explores the true meaning of beauty, family, home, and race, Translations of Beauty radiates with raw wit, heartache, and universal truths.
It not only reaffirms the unbreakable ties that bind all families but also lays bare the boundaries and pitfalls of the American dream.
Mia Yun, whose first novel was hailed by Kirkus Reviews as a "superlative" debut, maps the relationship of twin sisters Inah and Yunah from their early childhood in South Korea to growing up in Queens, New York. At the center of Translations of Beauty is the terrible childhood accident that disfigured Inah for life, and the overwhelming sadness and guilt Yunah feels at having been spared. It opens with Yunah, now twenty-eight, flying out to Italy to "rescue" Inah who, in her struggle to find her way, has drifted away from her family. Thrown together again after so much time, long-ago joys and heartaches are stirred, and the twins find their relationship tested as they are forced to confront unresolved issues.
It is the account of growing up in America as immigrant children, dealing with the painful reality of Inah's disfigured face and trying to find their individual identities while negotiating their relationship with each other; of their family's struggle to stay whole as years of collective struggles and colliding dreams and values take a toll on each of them and of its effort to find dignity amid the constant jockeying for respect, acceptance, and loyalty.
Peppered throughout this darkly poignant novel are colorful, vividly drawn, ethnically and socially diverse secondary characters: Uncle Shin, the loyal family man and avaricious businessman; Cousin Ki-hong, a rebellious KISS fan in his youth who gloats in domestic bliss as a married man; Auntie Minnie, an irrepressible, loud, and bawdy beautician; and, finally, Uncle Wilson, Aunt Minnie's African-American husband who divorces her to marry a woman of his own race.
Thought-provoking and uncommonly honest, this story of one Korean family's heartbreaking journey in America will resonate powerfully with every reader.
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By chym-a (Brooklyn, NY United States)
If you want to read this as another Asian American lit, it would pass as mediocre, OK in its own end, somewhat low key, more realistic look at the down side of immigration that is always a set deal with so called American dream, or Etopianism, which only translates an false ad of the promised land and the westward progress. But this has already become a cliche in the immigrant literature field.
I got more drawn to another subject: what a woman's esthetic feature means to her life. Reading this sort of study done by nobody but Korean female author like Yun somehow reminded me of another Korean immigrant author Suki Kim and her novel "Interpreter". Because women are judged and treated according to their looks, and actually, that seems to be the only thing they are valued for in the culture, Korean women's obsession always appears intense. Their outrageous enthusiasm for plastic surgery is attributed to this national faith in women's looks, which only equates the unabashed objetification of women, which is only the norm of the society. But they do not seem to see it as the institutional sadism against women or deplorable commodification of humen beings. I do beieve this phenomenon can't be criticized more.
All the more, a novel like this reads as a testimony of how disasterous it is for a woman not to be equipped with the asset she is supposed to have to manuever her life. In this context, the real tragedy is that authors like these, Yun or Suki KIM's, having no criticism for the culture of ultimate objectification or commodification of women. Their writings on another tale of how important looks are for women never help Korean women get over the fallacy they should not comply any more. The film director Kim Gidok shows way keener view on Korean women's condition. When it comes to the 'face' issue, check "Time" out, which is dealing with the science of cosmetic surgery and mechanism of people's minds regarding for women's faces.
By Daniel hodkins (St. Augustine, Florida)
I usually avoid Asian-American fiction as they are too similar in nature and too full of cliches. However, I read Mia Yun's poetically written House of the Winds and was hooked. I knew I had discovered a remarkable writer. Her new book, Translations of Beauty, explores the lives of two sisters, one horribly damaged. Once again, it is beautifully, even poetically written, always willing to take chances to arrive at painful truths and always avoiding cliches. Highly recommended!
By Blunt_Korean (Canada)
While there are many elements of this novel that bring forth emotional value, the element that struck me the most (reading as a Korean-Canadian male) was the wit instilled by Mia Yun to twins. In reading Mia Yun's narrative, I couldn't help but think back on my own immigrant experiences that remain so vivid within my own mind. The tension between the new and old world for children of Korean immigrants is one that we all have to endure and overcome. Clearly Mia Yun has found a voice for Korean-Americans.
By Booklover33 (Connecticut)
I had not heard of this novel or author when I saw the book on a list of "new immigrant classics" in a special New York Times feature on immigration, which is my area of study. And I must say that I agree that it shares something with the classics I love: that powerful, intangible that hits you and lingers after you finish the last word and makes you want to read it again. While ostensibly focused on the tribulations of a family of Koreans who immigrate to New York, the author has successfully transcended the genre and has provided a compelling and nuanced portrait of family relationships. Beautifully written and very highly recommended.
By Linda J. (Connecticut)
This is a novel of rare beauty which lingers in your mind long after you turn the last page. Whether in Korea, Italy or the immigrant mecca of Flushing, New York, Mia Yun offers the reader an impeccable and immediate sense of place. Written with subtle, comic and tragic touches, this palpably moving story of Korean-born twin sisters who immigrate to New York as small children explores many important issues such as self-identity, racial prejudice and the fleeting nature of beauty.
I enjoyed it tremendously. I am very eager to read this novel again as I feel there are more hidden treasures to discover.
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