RaveWashington Independent Review of Books...a tour-de-force examination of the role death plays in a meaningful life; of love—both maternal and romantic—that endures beyond time; and of the relevance of religion in a changing universe. These are weighty topics, indeed, but author Dara Horn navigates them with a light touch, creating a tale that is both page turner and philosophical treatise on humanity’s timeless quest for meaning ... while there is plenty of sorrow in this sometimes-harrowing novel, it is also a slyly funny and ultimately hopeful take on the human condition and our ability as a species to find joy, even amid the ashes.
Crystal Hana Kim
PositiveThe Washington Independent Review of BooksAlthough If You Leave Me is set in war-torn Korea, the novel mainly concerns itself with love—romantic love, love of country, love of family, and, ultimately, the inability to love on command ... Despite the sympathy the reader is likely to feel for Haemi’s situation, she is also a difficult character to like, and the author makes no apology for that. Haemi doesn’t behave. She breaks the \'mommy rule\' by putting her happiness ahead of that of her children. She is spiteful to passersby. In short, she sidesteps the stereotype of the spunky heroine who overcomes her circumstances to find happiness in the face of overwhelming odds. Instead, the author relies on lyrical and nuanced storytelling to avoid these tropes in favor of the portrait of a complicated woman ... Kyunghwan’s story is compelling in its own right, as he struggles to grasp even the slippery lowest rung of economic stability.
Sue Halpern
PositiveWashington Independent Review of BooksIn this sentimental tale, a woman struggles to believe in the inherent kindness at the heart of the human psyche ... The story unfolds at a leisurely pace ... When at last the final chapter of her sad Marriage Story is revealed, along with an explanation of the attendant trauma, the pace suddenly speeds up and the denouement feels both rushed and not quite satisfying. All that said, the characters are engaging, each in his or her own way, and readers will root for the happy ending they hope the benevolent gods will send their way.
Dara Horn
RaveThe Washington Independent Review of Books\"a tour-de-force examination of the role death plays in a meaningful life; of love — both maternal and romantic — that endures beyond time; and of the relevance of religion in a changing universe. These are weighty topics, indeed, but author Dara Horn navigates them with a light touch, creating a tale that is both page turner and philosophical treatise on humanity’s timeless quest for meaning ... while there is plenty of sorrow in this sometimes-harrowing novel, it is also a slyly funny and ultimately hopeful take on the human condition and our ability as a species to find joy, even amid the ashes.\
Dara Horn
PositiveWashington Independent Review of Books\"... a tour-de-force examination of the role death plays in a meaningful life ... Dara Horn navigates [weighty topics] with a light touch, creating a tale that is both page turner and philosophical treatise on humanity’s timeless quest for meaning ... But while there is plenty of sorrow in this sometimes-harrowing novel, it is also a slyly funny and ultimately hopeful take on the human condition and our ability as a species to find joy, even amid the ashes.\
