The Wanderer's Curse: A Memoir

by Jennifer Hope Choi

A dazzling, whip-smart debut from a daughter who grapples with her mother’s late-in-life itinerance to understand her own inclination to wander.

In 2022, Jennifer Hope Choi stumbled upon the concept of yeokmasal—a supposedly inheritable affliction that causes one to roam far from home. When Choi asked her Korean mother about the “curse,” Umma replied nonchalantly, “Oh yeah. I have that.” It shouldn’t have been a surprise: since 2007, Umma had moved from California to seven states, from Alaska to Florida. Where had the no-nonsense open-heart surgery nurse gone, and why? Once Choi’s own life implodes, she finds herself shuttling from Brooklyn to South Carolina and Oklahoma. As these singular women drift apart and return to each other over time, Choi examines where and to whom she belongs, pondering everything from a mystical Korean dog breed and cults to Korean American golfers and contemporary art. Through glimmering prose and a laugh-out-loud sensibility, The Wanderer’s Curse explores what might be gained from living in residence with uncertainty, what we wish we could leave behind, and how we move on.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

304 pages, Hardcover

First published May 6, 2025

Reviews

[Denise Ruttan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book belongs to a new class of memoir that I find both intriguing and somewhat frustrating, in that it is not strictly a memoir but also part cultural history and interviews with family members and cultural figures. The frustrating part is that the personal thread that draws me to memoirs can be lost in chunks of info-dumping about Korean Christian church movements or the Korean beauty industry.

This book is told in three parts of the complicated relationship between Jennifer, a Korean American writer, and her mother. Both of them suffer from an affliction known as yeokmasal, rich in Korean culture since the nomadic days, or the wanderer's curse. They have restless spirits and regularly uproot themselves to chase down a new town or adventure that will finally make them happy.

In the first part young Jennifer is living a punk-pop vagabond's life in Manhattan, heavily drinking her way through the adventures of city life while her mom uproots herself to Alaska on a whim. The second part of the book kind of lost me because the personal connection was very loose as Jennifer goes on a deep-dive reporting trip into whether Korean churches were cults. Her uncle was accused of murdering a woman in an exorcism and I found parts of this interesting but I felt as if this should have been its own book. It had very little to do with Jennifer's mother and more could have been explored about the Korean evangelical movement, which I did find interesting.

The third part ties it all together, when Jennifer hits rock bottom and moves in with her mother in Florida and they begin to understand each other as adults. It goes on a tangent, again veering too far away from Jennifer and her mother, about how artists pursue their passions while also needing to eat, which could have been another book. But it ties it all back together again as Jennifer goes to Korea to get her fortune read and learn more about yeokmasal.

I wish the ending had been a little more hopeful; I was left wondering if Jennifer would ever find peace or if she would constantly be yearning for the life she thought she should have to find happiness. In that sense I was unsure of the book's message as to whether it really was a curse.

But I related to their struggles because I too had a thirst for adventure in my 20s. I lived in Japan and made plans to move to Alaska and the Virgin Islands before life got in the way. In middle age though I have grown averse to risk and change but I am still unhappy being settled. However I have come to realize in middle age that happiness is not something that can be found outside, that the more you chase it the more elusive it becomes. I hope Jennifer comes to realize this too.

I forgave the book its chunks of impersonal info-dumping because the author really got me on her side and made me feel like she was someone who I wanted to root for. The writing was also strong and whip-smart.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[A Dreaming Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this was okay. I personally don't like it when a memoir suddenly deviates and does a deep dive into history/facts. I found the idea interesting but some parts like the whole church and exorcism thing was very boring and dragged on a lot. Even a lot of parts about the travel had huge amounts of info dump. I appreciate that she was trying to learn more about her culture but she didn't have to put everything she learnt on paper this way; It almost felt like this is the book she was asked to research for, rather than being a memoir. I also wish the ending had been less open ended.

P.S. Won an ARC via Goodreads Giveaways.

[Debbie]

I really wanted to read and review this book that I won in a giveaway but the publisher sent me the wrong book. I'm so sad. :( They sent me The Book of Records, so I will read that instead. I will try to get my hands on another copy and write a proper review.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A memoir. Jennifer Choi is a Korean American. This book dives into the unique relationship with her mother. Jennifer explores Korean culture and what has made her (and her mother) who she is today. The book is grouped into three sections. The first explores her difficult relationships with her parents and her need to go to college far away in NY. She is relatable in spending her twenties, going to school, bartending and basically drinking her nights away. The second explores Korean religion and artwork. She ultimately hits rock bottom and broke— which is mind boggling with her having 2 degrees. She moves in with her mother for a period of time and even works at a library! 📚 This really showed how sometimes even dreams take a backseat to stability or predictably. Third section- is the coming together (or conclusion) of what she’s learned over the years. Both herself and her mother are wanderers- a Korean genetic component alludes to past nomadic lifestyle. Overall, I found it to be an interesting read. I couldn’t fathom the idea of just deciding one day to pick up, move across the country, and settle on the first house you look at. I like the ending brought to light that everyone has their own path and their own timetable. I hope Jennifer gets her happily ever after- Even if it’s not in the traditional sort! #thewandererscurse #jenniferhopechoi #korean #memoir #goodreadsgiveaway #goodreadsgiveaways #goodreads #book #bookreview #jillianhereforthebooks

[Kathryn Deem · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and thoughtful debut memoir from a writer whose work I've been following for a long time. This is an exceptionally written and rewarding read for those who like to interrogate and dig deep. I was immediately drawn in by the writer's stories of being young in New York, but I found her journey after leaving New York illuminating and emotional. It's about search for connection - family bonds, identity, culture. It's an incredibly honest portrayal of what it means to grow up feeling a little lost, the longing for more, and what it means to make a home.

[Iris (Yi Youn) Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

the memoir really has two main characters: choi and her mother. both women are fucking hilarious and a force to behold. we need more korean american memoirs that are laugh out loud funny!!! i didn't expect to learn so much history about things that have always just existed as part of my life—saju, Korean churches, Jindo dogs, and Mongol banjums.

i appreciated the questions choi raised constantly: what does it mean to be an artist? a korean american artist? to be the descendant of such a wanderer? but also felt that the questioning got a bit predictable in every chapter. she meanders a lot...which is i guess the point of the book, as aptly titled.

[Marietta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite sometimes coming off as "contractual-obligation" writing, there's ultimately a bittersweet, complex, and unique love story here. Fraught as only mother-daughter relationships can be, Choi and her mother are so much alike, they're bound to see the best and the worst in each other. To be beset by "a case of the horses" is to refuse to be tethered - by tradition in Choi's case, by geography in her mother's. But of course their bond to one another informs decisions, large and small, made by both.

[Elsie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jennifer Hope Choi’s memoir has carved a niche in my heart. Not because I’m a wanderer. Nor am I cursed. But who hasn’t harbored the uncomfortable sense of not fitting in? Choi has lived it.

Choi journeys far, literally and figuratively, to identify her place in the world, in her art, even in her own family. Intelligent and vulnerable, she examines love, faith and longing with relentless inquisitiveness and an honest, unblinking eye. Told with masterful prose and razor-edge wit, her story will engage you, teach you, challenge you, confide in you, entertain you, wrench your heart, and make you laugh out loud. Sometimes all on the same page.

The Wanderer’s Curse is an extraordinary work of art.

[Jess]

Memoirs can be difficult to review since they're so personal to the author. I found this one pretty uneven in terms of its approach, flipping between personal narratives and historical facts, and the theme of wandering / yeokmasal seemed like an attempt to impose an underlying structure.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

sometimes the things you inherit are more ambiguous than blessings or curses, and rather than go down the spiral of wondering if you're royally fucked for the rest of your life, maybe the more radical act is to simply live it and reflect along the way.

[Mary Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to push myself to finish this book thru. Was looking forward to more story of the author's places lived and what was accomplished there, but there was a lot of history and explanation of Asian culture and beliefs interspersed that I wasn't expecting.

[J R · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting and well-written memoir, although there were some chunks that felt sorta divorced from the overall memoir. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this arc by accident... I was supposed to get a different book, but nonetheless, this was an enjoyable memoir that also had a fair amount of interesting information about Korea.

[KD]

Read an article by the author about pintxos in Bon Appetit magazine in May 2025. Article was so good it made me want to read more by the author.

[Mary]

DNF

[Kel Lee Liu · Rating 5 out of 5]

witty language. yeokmasal. musings on artistry. relationship with mother and her mother