For most Americans, until fairly recently, Korea's literary and intellectual traditions were as unfamiliar as the duty free counter at Pyongyang International Airport. But that has been changing rapidly as Korean American writers enter the U.S. literary mainstream.
Of the three titles reviewed here, only Leonard Chang's work can be categorized as a true mystery novel. But all involve crimes and efforts to conceal past secrets, and all share several characteristics: The protagonists all suffer from dysfunctional family relationships and, perhaps for this reason, their own personal relationships aren't doing much better. All three titles also feature rebellious (read promiscuous) ethnic Korean females, who engage in casual sex with members of other racial groups.
Do Korean Americans entertain greater anxieties on such matters than other immigrant groups in the U.S.? Perhaps if this question were conveyed to the authors, it might be interesting to see how they reply.