Offerings

Offerings gives us the perspective of the Asian-American experience, which I found very well written. It can be a bit slow at times if you're not interesting in finances, but other than that a very good read.

Although a little tedious here and there, a well-written story that covers a lot of territory -- culture, who we are, duty, family, philosophy, family expectations, finance, class, and more. It's also a little uneven, but mostly engaging. Recommended for literary fictions fans.

I really appreciate the review copy!!

Dae Joon/ Shane is a Korean-American investment banker who finds himself back in Seoul as a part of an international team that is trying to rescue South Korea from sovereign default during the Asian financial crisis. Dae Joon believes that he can make a difference in his work and break free from family tradition. His father believes that as a jangnam (firstborn son), he should stop playing with money and get a PhD instead to become a scholar like many in his family.

Let me be honest, one of the main reasons picked this book because of the pretty cherry blossoms on the cover. Little did I know that this roman à clef is by one of the richest men in the world!

I loved that Kim went back in forth in time to show the  'insider-outsider' dynamic;  growing up as an Asian immigrant in the US in the 1970s and 1980s and his links with Korea as an adult. He does a good job of explaining Korean history and culture without overwhelming the reader. Readers will enjoy the insider perspective of whats it is like to bail out a country from a financial crisis. While most millennials recall the 2007/8 financial crisis, the 1997/8 Asian financial crisis occurred at a time when the world was not as interconnected as it is in 2020.

While this book did not grab me as much as I had hoped it would, I am glad that I read it. It cemented my knowledge of the unique aspects of South Korea's political economy and cultural traditions. and got me curious about events like the Gwangju uprising. Reading parts of his childhood reflections convinced me that Kim would make a great book with a child narrator that addresses serious issues in the Korean context.

Offerings will be a great read for fans of  Min Jin Lee, Michael Lewis and anyone interested in South Korea. Let me add, in case this book gets turned into a Kdrama movie or series, I would highly recommend the same production team or at least screenplay writers from Misaeng. I am looking forward to what Mr Kim has to offer in the future.

This would make a great movie. A Korean America makes his way through the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997. Returning to Korea he tries to use what he learned on Wall Street to save Korea. It is quite a story dealing with social and personal values as well as the difference in eastern and western cultures.

I found reading this book a little difficult at times trying to figure out the the financial and political language.. I realize the concept was a crucial part of the story, but felt it could have been less wordy and more ‘user’ friendly.

But the story of Dae Joon’s family and career, with the Korean connection, was well worth my perseverance.

Dae Joon emigrated from Korea to the U.S. at age 12. He was intrigued by the American way of life and chose not to follow his fathers’ wishes to keep the family tradition, but decided to become a financial expert for the New York Stock Exchange. Some 20 years after he emigrated, he was told to ‘pack his bags’ and head back to his birthplace with his firm Phipps &Sterling to create a package to rescue Korea when Asia was in financial crisis.

What I enjoyed most in this book was being involved in the Korean culture through the stories Dae Joon told of his memories of Korea and of family relations. He spends a lot of time trying to convince his father that he has chosen the right path, especially when he was in the position to help his birth land.
I give this book 3.5 stars and can recommend reading it.