Set in Seoul, this family drama, loosely based on a real event, is an intriguing slow-burn.
Sae, currently a stay-at-home mother, was a protestor in her student days and a former reporter. Her husband is working for an architecture firm in a new skyscraper. When he goes missing after the building collapses, Sae digs for the truth finding out how Jae's past is truly part of this present situation.
Hand to readers who enjoy family intrigue, political drama, and a touch of historical fiction. This was definitely a window into a different world for me.

Excavations is an ambitious novel that follows Sae, a stay at home mom to two sons, trying to find her husband who has disappeared in the wake of a devastating tragedy that she fears he might be involved in. In the wake of the collapse of Aspiration Tower, a huge achievement of the Taehan Group, Sae searches for her husband, Jae, but also for the truth behind the accident that has killed hundreds of people. Using her journalistic skills from her past, Sae finds herself wrapped up in a much darker story of corruption, greed, and deceit that hits closer to home than she expects. This novel surprised me in its breadth and depth, taking on Korean history and national identity in the 80s and 90s, from the political dissent and radicalization of workers that bring our characters Sae and Jae together, to the painful separation of what is now North and South Korea. The story Michell is telling requires the reader to put in some work at at the beginning, but the pay off when all the interconnected lives come together is very much worth it. Michell’s writing and character work is strong in this, and I felt a lot for Sae and Myonghee, who were trying their best amongst unending challenges. I look forward to reading Michell’s previous work, and whatever she writes next!

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley, thank you!

In this unique novel by Hannah Mitchell, to set the scene, a large skyscraper called Aspiration Tower, collapses. Sae, a former journalist turned stay-at-home mom, cannot find her husband, Jae, who was supposedly working in that building on the day of its collapse.

Mitchell takes us through this incident and the aftermath via multiple characters whose lives are all interwoven. There's Sae (accompanied by her two young children and mother) and a former coworker she reaches out to to help with her investigation into the business that owns Aspiration Tower. That business is called Taehan Group, and we also hear from the owner/"Chairman" and one of his sons. Sae also gets help from a childhood love interest and fellow activist, as well as Myonghee, the owner of an upscale club for powerful businessmen.

Through every twist and turn, the plot truly thickens. At first, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to get invested in the book, but I was quickly proven wrong. There are big reveals, dark family secrets, complicated relationships, and so much more in "Excavations."

Sae is waiting for her husband Jae to return home when she finds out the skyscraper he was working at has collapsed. Unsure if he was in the building at the time, she tries to locate him. However, as she starts asking questions, she begins to wonder what Jae was really doing there and whether their company was responsible for the collapse. Sae's investigation leads her to the Taehan group, the group responsible for the original building's plans. She uncovers a plot from within Taehan to coverup their shoddy construction and building shortcuts and instead they try to lay the blame elsewhere. Meanwhile she also learns more about her husband's family. Overall, a look at the lengths people and corporations will go to maintain their power and reputation, at the expense of anyone who stands in their path.

This had me hooked from the start. I love books based on true events, and although this book was based on a horrific disaster, it led me to learn a lot about the real-life Sampoong Department Store collapse and its aftermath.

This was a powerful exploration of class, justice, family, and identity, and it was written beautifully. I enjoyed the different perspectives and felt that they helped paint the bigger picture surrounding the disaster in the novel; how it was allowed to happen, why it happened in the first place, and the sad truth about justice being served much too late.

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC!

Excavations
By Hannah Michell

Loosely based on a real story in South Korea.
Main character Sae’s husband doesn’t come home after a building collapse. A building that he was working on. In her search for answers and for him she realizes things just don’t add up. She investigates and digs up corrupt building plans and shady business dealings.
While the concept for the book was interesting, I couldn’t really get into this one. It just wasn’t for me. The timeline was confusing and I felt the characters were flat.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review

I was intrigued in the very beginning of this story and was very glad that I chose to read it. Who can you trust? How well do you really know someone? The plot was very good and kept me interested.
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was an amazing story. Absolutely amazing writing.

I have not really read any books that take place in Korea so I felt like I learned a lot from this story.

A man goes missing when a building collapses and that is how the story begins. His wife, Sae, is a former journalist and is determined to find her husband. While searching for him she unveils a much bigger story.

What happens as she finds the bigger story is just fascinating.

I absolutely recommend this book!

The premise of this book sounded interesting. Wife waiting for husband home from work , who doesn’t show and then disappears. Unfortunately I couldn’t get into this novel, I found all the side stories too confusing and had a hard time keeping up with the Korean names. I can only give three stars for this book.
I received a complimentary copy, opinions are my own.

This book is one that will stay with you for a long time after you finish it! I would definitely read more by this author!!

What I loved:

1. The mystery and intrigue were so well done - it wasn't in your face thrilling but kept nagging at the back of your mind.
2. Loved learning about South Korea and some of the culture.
3. Really nuanced story of family, motherhood and relationships.

What I wished were different:

1. Wanted more insights and information on the other characters besides our narrator.
2. It was a little slow for me because the author kept us at arm's length in so many of the situations.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House, One World for the copy of Excavations by Hannah Michell.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Excavations.

First, great cover! Second, great premise!

Sae is waiting for her husband, Jae, to come home when a massive building collapses. As an engineer tasked with a project at the building, Sae fears the worst when she receives no word from Jae.

And her journey to discover who her husband truly was begins.

I really liked the relationship between Sae and Jae, flashbacks to how their relationship began was integral to understanding their bond.

I wasn't a fan of the political stuff, but I understood it added nuance to how they met and how their relationship evolved.

Watching Sae pound the pavement and tap into her journalistic talents to uncover the cover up was great to see.

At first, I didn't understand Myonghee's role, though I knew it had to be a good one.

Why else include her character into the narrative?

I liked how Myonghee and Sae's friendship develops, and how the older woman is the one who gives Sae the final nudge to pursue their quest for justice.

Corruption in politics and business is nothing new but I always enjoy an ending when the bad guys get their due, even though it was nearly three decades in the making.

It was wonderful to see how exposing the truth was what truly made Sae begin the healing process after losing her husband, her marriage, her family, and almost herself.

I look forward to the author's next book.

The plot of this seemed so interested but unfortunately this missed the mark for me. The writing was very disjointed and hard to follow at times. It was very slow and hard to pick up at times.

Excavations will haunt me for a long time. This book is beautifully written but it is also extremely heartbreaking. I loved reading more about South Korea and its history and found this book very eye opening to the powers at play. I truly will be thinking about this book for a long time and I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Hannah Michell is an ambitious writer and takes us into a tangled and complicated story with Excavations, her debut novel. What is most fascinating about this book is that for the most part is she weaves all the stories together giving the reader insights into Korea’s past, the political situation up to recent times, and how corruption has played in a role everyday people’s life.

Sae, a former journalist with a dogged nature, gives up her career to stay home with her two boys and is married to her true love Jae, who she met during her student protest days. She loves Jae deeply. Daily life is a bit hard, not an abundance of money, and no family to help with the boys. Tragedy strikes when Jae is working on a renowned building called the Aspiration Tower when it collapses.

The building collapse sets Sae on a journey of discovery, and one that reveals things about herself, her husband and her country that are deeply tragic and life altering. Hannah does get bogged down at times as the book is often switching from the past to the present and sometimes the book loses its pace in so many details. There is even a tangent storyline about the owner of a brothel called Myongee whose story is woven into the main story in surprising ways and that intertwines into Sae’s life.

Sae is a richly drawn character, and her life with Jae seemed so perfect, until he is gone. She does grow in the book and we become deeply embedded in her struggles, even her failings as a mother. In the end the book gives us hope and levels of forgiveness that are profound and deeply meaningful.

It is worth the read, and I look forward to more stories from Hannah Mitchell. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read the book.

Sae, a former journalist, now a stay at home mother with two active toddlers, waits for her husband to come home at the end of his day. He is an engineer working on a tower in the busy downtown area. She gets little information from the contractors or her husband's employer and goes searching for answers (and her husband). There are rumors that the contractor knew that the foundation of the bldg was unstable, and also rumors that the company skimped on the concrete and other materials.
The story skips through 45 days of Sae's search and waiting, and also brings into the story, her history with Jae from their college days as anti-government protesters to the present. The end brings in different timelines and stories in the present day.
Interspersed with this main story are excerpts from the Chairman's rambling memos, and several references to the S Korean government. There are a lot of extraneous characters and for the most part, I found the story confusing, and I didn't feel that it went anywhere because of all the secrecy and cover-ups. I saw the title as a metaphor for Sae excavating her marriage (as well as excavating the truth of the building collapse).
I felt the characters were all unlikable and seemed to have an agenda to keep the truth from Sae. In spite of her avowed love for Jae, she didn't really seem to care about her children enough to comfort them, or interact with them in a maternal way.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and the opinions expressed are my own.

I throughly enjoyed Excavations. It was a lot more mysterious than I thought it was going to be. There were a lot of twists and turns along the way. I would recommend this book to friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC.

Hannah Michell just took me through it. This book broke my heart and made me ache for the characters. I devoured it. What a novel.

“What really bothered her was the suppression of truth, the idea that they were inculcated into a system that hid texts and withheld key facts to present a heroic and clean version of history.”

Hannah Mitchell’s Excavations is an exploration of grief, personal/shared history, and love set in the backdrop of the South Korea of the late 80s, early 90s, and mid-aughts. Its tale is surprisingly prescient, as it feels like a story that could happen now, that has been happening everywhere, all along. The themes of corruption, power, and wealth are timeless, but set in this time and place also feel so timely and so sharp.

I enjoyed the way that Mitchell sends her readers on a journey that is equal parts mystery and self-discovery. And the hopeful note at the end is a perfect way to wrap up such a poignant, human story.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is the most amazing story about the unfortunate collapse of a skyscraper and Sae's mission to find her husband who worked in the building and never made it home. The story was a bit slow in the middle but I hung in there and it came together in the end. Overall this was a good read.

In Korea, Sae waits with her 2 toddlers, for her husband Jae to return home from work. When he's late, she learns that the building where he works, has collapsed. She waits hours to days to weeks for Jae to show up. The remainder of the story is Sae investigating what exactly happened and if Jae is dead or just missing.

The first couple of chapters of this book were so promising, but then it quickly turned. The writing was very disjointed. The story was mainly told from Sae's POV, but there was another POV thrown in here and there, but it was unclear who it was. The story moved incredibly SLOW and at one point I no longer cared what happened to Jae. The last 25% of the book finally circled back to the point of the story, but it wasn't enough to save it in my opinion.

Thank You NetGalley and Random House for this free e-galley