This novel is such an incredible piece of historical fiction, and one that covers an oft-forgotten time and perspective in history.

"The Evening Hero" tells the story of Yungman Kwak, a Korean-American doctor who lives and works in Horse's Breath, a small community in Minnesota when his life is upturned after the announcement of the hospital's closing. We get to see Yungman's interactions with fellow doctors and nurses, his wife Young Ae, and his relationship with his son Einstein and his Einstein's own family, including his wife (Yungman's daughter-in-law) Marni. The novel also makes numerous flashbacks to Yungman's childhood growing up in a war-torn Korea in the midst of the Korean War, and the struggles his family went through during that time and what it actually took for Yungman to attend medical school and move his life to America.

There are so many weighty and important topics Marie Myung-Ok Lee covers in this novel: racism (and not just towards Asian Americans), the treatment of immigrants, the capitalization of our healthcare systems and medical care, the ties of family and our pasts, and perhaps most importantly, the complicated and difficult history of Korea during the 20th century, as it served as the battleground between American and Russian forces and put its own people under unbelievable and impossible situations. Admittedly this is not a period in history I am knowledgeable about, but Lee offers a heart-wrenching perspective on what so many people went through during this time, and lays the foundation for the political and cultural intricacies for the present.

The novel sways between tones of pure satire and ridiculousness to ones of weighty seriousness and heart-breaking situations, juxtaposing the gravitas of the past to the near-hilarious events that Yungman encounters in the past. She's also crafted a host of complex and multi-layered characters that include not only Yungman, but his wife, peers, and mother that you can't help but feel for each of their individual situations. All-in-all, this novel was such a delight to read and although it not the easiest nor lightest storyline, it is one that I will cherish and re-read in the future.

The Evening Hero
By Marie Myung-Ok Lee

It is said that history is written by the winners – and this seems to be a true statement. However, this book presents a Korean-American doctor, Yungman Kwak, and tells his story from a poverty-stricken childhood in a small village under the Japanese occupation through the Korean War to his emigration to the US to become a doctor and to raise a family as an outsider in Minnesota.

This is a tale of what it is like to never fit in, whether in your own home country or an adopted country. Yungman is a bright and hard-working young man who, through his own efforts, the support of his younger brother (whom he abandons in Korea), and a bit of luck, becomes a physician and a US citizen. He is married to a woman he has loved all his life, but he feels she was tricked into marrying him by an unplanned pregnancy which left her dreams shattered. Yungman always feels he is not good enough for her and that she maybe does not love him.

Through a series of circumstances, Yungman and his wife decide to return to Korea under the auspices of Doctors without Borders, to help with a humanitarian crisis. They also want to return to their past, to honor their ancestors as is the Korean tradition and to revisit what they left behind.

This is a wonderful book. It addresses the Korean Peninsula and all the sufferings of the Korean peoples – both North and South – brought on by the interference of other nations: Japan, Russia, China and the United States. These nations treated the people of Korea as lesser beings, never realizing that they too were people. I gained a new perspective on – and a great sympathy for – a nation I knew almost nothing about.

The Evening Hero, the Korean translation of Yungman, is a broad, generational story about fear, grief, regret, hope, family, and redemption.

On this journey, the reader follows Dr. Yungman Kwak from his traumatic childhood in Korea to his life trying to reach the promise of the American Dream. Although this book is fictional, it is clear that Lee put a tremendous amount of effort into researching the history of the Korean War and the conflict between North and South Korea. The writing in this book is lyrical, but do not expect something fast paced. It takes the author time to build this story, and no detail is left unturned. Although this book is in no way a thriller, I really enjoyed the ominous hints that Yungman had an unforgivable secret.

Yungman’s journey highlights the heartbreaking reality of culture and identity loss when immigrants are forced to assimilate to avoid prejudice. I developed a great respect for Yungman’s perseverance, but hated him for abandoning his only family.

The ending of this book completely satisfied me, it was beautiful how the author brought the Kwans back to Korea to honor their families.

I think the best word for this is poignant. This story has drama and much more, and the author is a gifted story teller. I look forward to her future work! Recommended.

Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!

The title and description are what drew me in at first, the story did the rest.

The author’s voice is a gorgeous one and this novel (which, I read, took her 18 years to finish) is an amazing and seamless read that grabs you from the first page. In words steeped in realness, I lost myself in this one.

Highly recommended.

What a beautifully crafted story. I love when we get a good taste of our main character and their struggles before being brought back to their rich backstory. The backstory typically is my favorite part - this is no exception and I 100% believe that chunk is the best part of this novel. We learn about Yungman's upbringing in war torn Korea and the sacrifices he and his family made to achieve the life he has now (without saying so much to spoil the story).

The only thing bringing my rating down to four stars is the odd forray into commentary about capitalism and healthcare this book takes early on. It insisted upon itself for a bit - but PUSH THROUGH. It's worth it.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Yunnan is living his dream of being a doctor in the United States. He was born in Korea, but left many years ago. He receives a letter that could destroy everything he has now. This book was very touching and emotional i enjoyed this book.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

Highly recommend!! This book is a definite page-turner! You'll be left thinking about the story long after you put the book down. First book to read by this author but definitely not my last!

It's quite a feat for an author to be able to write a book like this! She has covered so much--addressing contemporary issues, healthcare in America (the shopping mall medical practice descriptions are hysterically funny), racism--and to me, most importantly, the Korean history that so very few Americans know anything about. Korea has such a sad and unique history. It would be unimaginable to most Americans, yet Americans played a huge part in it. Kudos for the author for unearthing so much and presenting in in story form. As you learn more about the main character, you grow more and more curious about his history and what made him the man he is. By the time you get to the last section, you are cheering him on all the while being fully cognizant of his faults, regrets, mistakes, and humanity.
I hope this book will gain a wide audience and be the impetus of discussions on a wide range of topics. And lest you think that this book is too "heavy" I will again reiterate that some of it is quite funny!

This book was so good. It does deal with some difficult topics but was so good to read overall. I can’t wait to read something else by this author.