Skinship

This was the most Korean-American book I've ever read and an absolute stunning debut short story collection. Easily my favourite read of 2021. All killer, no filler — I can't recommend this book enough.

The entire collection is perfectly balanced. Naturally there is the singular thread focusing on Korean immigrant stories, but from a wide spectrum of voices. We have the girl heading into third grade following the aging couple working at a convenience store. The middle-aged autistic piano prodigy tells one story while a sullen teenaged Korean adoptee tells another. And while there isn't a single personal counterpart for me here on the page, they all struck an immediate and visceral chord within me. Every story feels deeply connected to my own experience.

Even more stunning is that these stories don't centre whiteness the way traditional immigrant narratives tend to. The Koreans here aren't outsiders looking in, there's no smelly lunchbox story. The collection doesn't set out to highlight tensions these characters might feel in their newly adopted land when thrown against a predominantly black and white backdrop. It's Koreans talking about Koreans and centering their own deeply personal experiences. I am screaming.

You don't have to be a second generation Korean to enjoy this book (though it doesn't hurt). The writing is just stellar and this is a jaw-dropping debut from an author I can't wait to see more from.