The Book Review that Ignited a Firestorm

Please Look After Mom by Kyung-sook Shin and translated by Chi-Young Kim was a runaway best seller in Korea. It has been reprinted five times since published in the US and is due to be published in 20 countries. It's the story of a mother who becomes separated from her family in the bustle of the Seoul subway station and cannot be found when the family swiftly returns to the stop. In the subsequent efforts to find her, each member of the family must look at their relationship with this humble and self-sacrificing woman. A bruising, harsh, and some claimed racist review of this book by Maureen Corrigan which appeared on the NPR web site ignited an unprecented firestorm from readers. Read this sensitive and absorbing book and compare your thoughts with Corrigan's and those reponding to the review. You'll have a lot to think about. PM