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Inheritance
A Korean Canadian woman returns to the prairies, where she revisits her childhood and confronts her haunting guilt.
Anne Kim is a New York lawyer whose success is built on forgetting the past. When her father dies and she returns to Edmonton for the funeral, she is shocked to discover that he was from North Korea and that he left his brother behind.
As Anne reads the undelivered letters her father wrote to his brother about life in Canada, she is transported back to her childhood during the 1980s and 90s. She recalls the struggles her parents faced as immigrants who ran a grocery store in a rural prairie town. Anne and her brother, Charles, felt the weight of their father's expectations: whereas Anne was driven to excel and became an overachiever, Charles rebelled, determined to pursue his own dreams. His rebellion created a rift that culminated in a devastating act, irrevocably shattering the family and leaving Anne overwhelmed by inescapable guilt.
Inheritance explores the immigrant experience, the sacrifices made by both parents and children, and the way trauma is transferred to the next generation. As Anne completes her journey to the past, she emerges to finally define life on her own terms.
Anne Kim is a New York lawyer whose success is built on forgetting the past. When her father dies and she returns to Edmonton for the funeral, she is shocked to discover that he was from North Korea and that he left his brother behind.
As Anne reads the undelivered letters her father wrote to his brother about life in Canada, she is transported back to her childhood during the 1980s and 90s. She recalls the struggles her parents faced as immigrants who ran a grocery store in a rural prairie town. Anne and her brother, Charles, felt the weight of their father's expectations: whereas Anne was driven to excel and became an overachiever, Charles rebelled, determined to pursue his own dreams. His rebellion created a rift that culminated in a devastating act, irrevocably shattering the family and leaving Anne overwhelmed by inescapable guilt.
Inheritance explores the immigrant experience, the sacrifices made by both parents and children, and the way trauma is transferred to the next generation. As Anne completes her journey to the past, she emerges to finally define life on her own terms.
320 pages, Paperback
Published April 7, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
April 27, 2026
4.5 Stars rounded up to 5.
“To be an immigrant, good or bad, is about straddling two homes, whilst knowing you don't really belong to either.”
― Nikesh Shukla, The Good Immigrant
A compelling debut novel by Jane Park about a Korean family immigrating to Alberta, Canada in the 1980s. The parents endure menial labor, racism, and family tension while eventually owning a grocery store. The novel is written from the daughter's point of view, spanning two time periods: the 1980s and 2014, when Anne, now a New York lawyer returns for her father's funeral.
Jane Park is a second-generation Korean Canadian, and the details of the immigrant experience including their sacrifice and generational family baggage were authentic cultural expressions for this reader. It felt like a memoir.
Well-written and recommended
“To be an immigrant, good or bad, is about straddling two homes, whilst knowing you don't really belong to either.”
― Nikesh Shukla, The Good Immigrant
A compelling debut novel by Jane Park about a Korean family immigrating to Alberta, Canada in the 1980s. The parents endure menial labor, racism, and family tension while eventually owning a grocery store. The novel is written from the daughter's point of view, spanning two time periods: the 1980s and 2014, when Anne, now a New York lawyer returns for her father's funeral.
Jane Park is a second-generation Korean Canadian, and the details of the immigrant experience including their sacrifice and generational family baggage were authentic cultural expressions for this reader. It felt like a memoir.
Well-written and recommended
May 11, 2026
4.5! This wonderful debut is full of heart and great storytelling. I’m so happy I picked this up on a whim. I’m truly excited for this new Canadian talent to be on the writing scene, and see where Jane’s writing career takes her. Add this to your TBRs!
November 21, 2025
This is a novel that reads like a memoir. The protagonist is the female child of a couple who escaped wartime Korea to come to Canada. Her older brother carries the traditional burden of eventually leading the family, and he protests against it when his future is shattered by his father's shortsightedness. It is then up to the sister to take up that burden which is not traditionally hers to inherit. In the meantime, the parents struggle to run their own business and survive economically.
It is with some relief that the story continues enough into the future so that we can read how it resolves. The transition to becoming an even somewhat accepted part of society can be easier for children than their parents, but it is never actually easy. Learning more about people from other cultures emigrating to new countries is important for everyone. This story helps to develop the empathy that we all could use more of.
It is with some relief that the story continues enough into the future so that we can read how it resolves. The transition to becoming an even somewhat accepted part of society can be easier for children than their parents, but it is never actually easy. Learning more about people from other cultures emigrating to new countries is important for everyone. This story helps to develop the empathy that we all could use more of.
April 7, 2026
Happy pub day to Inheritance by Jane Park! Thank you House of Anansi Press for this advanced copy, this was such a good read!
I’m really impressed with this debut! This book flips between the past when Anne and her family immigrate to Canada hoping for a better life, and the present, where they are now dealing with the father’s death. This book also takes a close look at the racism Korean communities have experienced and still experience today.
As a child, Anne and her family were one of the only Korean families in the few areas of Canada they had lived growing up. Not only were they trying to adjust to life in another country, but they were doing so alone. They eventually find friendship in their neighbourhood and begin to build a social life. Throughout these experiences, Anne, her brother Charles, and her parents experience racism in many different ways. This book brings racism to the forefront, allowing readers to generate conversation about it.
I think this is a fantastic debut novel! Jane Park very thoughtfully and carefully wove together Anne’s past and present and did a great job generating dialogue amongst characters. I really enjoyed the girlhood throughout this story, too. As Anne tries to find friendship growing up, she deals with the trials and tribulations of trying to fit in. This experience is harder for people who immigrate from other countries, but it is an aspect of growing up that many readers will be able to relate to.
Park has written a great first novel! I can see how this author will grow the more she writes, and I’m so excited to see what she does next! This book is so important to have on our shelves and to be talking about with other readers. I think it can show people a lot about how our society is still failing in many areas. 4/5 ✨.
I’m really impressed with this debut! This book flips between the past when Anne and her family immigrate to Canada hoping for a better life, and the present, where they are now dealing with the father’s death. This book also takes a close look at the racism Korean communities have experienced and still experience today.
As a child, Anne and her family were one of the only Korean families in the few areas of Canada they had lived growing up. Not only were they trying to adjust to life in another country, but they were doing so alone. They eventually find friendship in their neighbourhood and begin to build a social life. Throughout these experiences, Anne, her brother Charles, and her parents experience racism in many different ways. This book brings racism to the forefront, allowing readers to generate conversation about it.
I think this is a fantastic debut novel! Jane Park very thoughtfully and carefully wove together Anne’s past and present and did a great job generating dialogue amongst characters. I really enjoyed the girlhood throughout this story, too. As Anne tries to find friendship growing up, she deals with the trials and tribulations of trying to fit in. This experience is harder for people who immigrate from other countries, but it is an aspect of growing up that many readers will be able to relate to.
Park has written a great first novel! I can see how this author will grow the more she writes, and I’m so excited to see what she does next! This book is so important to have on our shelves and to be talking about with other readers. I think it can show people a lot about how our society is still failing in many areas. 4/5 ✨.
May 4, 2026
A moving family drama debut featuring a Korean Canadian woman struggling with family expectations and guilt from the past. This book tackled some heavy topics like grief over the death of a loved one, Anti-Asian racism, identity, community, family history, addiction and immigrant parent expectations. It was good on audio narrated by Cindy Kay and perfect for fans of the show Kim's Convenience. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
April 12, 2026
4.5 stars …
April 8, 2026
The fact this is a debut speaks volumes to Parks talent not just for how approachable this story is but how infused it is with empathy. The immigrant experience is not one I know first hand but it’s exploration always strikes me with new information, understanding and revelation both on my own privelage and the reminder of the paths others walk by choice or not.
Inheritance was easy to grasp while offering up layers of familial dynamics and sacrifice. The letters were this beautiful plot device that kept all of us including our protagonist eager but it was her reactions that compelled me. When we can be reminded of the whys we have the chance to get to the good stuff.
Inheritance was easy to grasp while offering up layers of familial dynamics and sacrifice. The letters were this beautiful plot device that kept all of us including our protagonist eager but it was her reactions that compelled me. When we can be reminded of the whys we have the chance to get to the good stuff.
May 1, 2026
Inheritance takes place in two timelines-early 1990s and 2014 when Anne returns to Edmonton (from NYC where she is now a lawyer) for her father’s funeral. Her Korean parents brought the family to Canada, and more specifically a small town a few hours away from Edmonton, to give the children opportunity. They worked hard, buying a grocery store with meagre means, and adjusted to living in a place where racism was of the time and very blatant. Anne struggled with being different from her classmates and of being second to her brother—even after an incident that changed everything.
Anne is one of only a very small number of non-white students at her school, her parents have expectations of her and even more so of her brother to make them proud. Anne and Charles live a life of duty to the family. Everything the children do are seen to reflect on their parents, and their parents before them. It is one of the themes of the book that I found most interesting as it really highlighted the difference of living for one’s self or for one’s family.
Coming from an immigrant family whose English was limited and growing up in this era was something I was familiar with. That being said, I am white and cannot understand how a person of colour would experience this. I understood the looks of horror at school lunches brought (everyone had peanut butter at my school and I had liver pâté), the blue collar vs. educated/white collar lifestyles, the broken English, and other traits that made me different than my peers and often left me ostracized but I was never called slurs and no judgements about ‘’those people” were made about my family that were generalized to race.
Park has written a fantastic debut and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. Also I love the title and meanings associated with the word Inheritance in this novel.
Thank you kindly to @houseofanansi for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. Inheritance is now available!
Anne is one of only a very small number of non-white students at her school, her parents have expectations of her and even more so of her brother to make them proud. Anne and Charles live a life of duty to the family. Everything the children do are seen to reflect on their parents, and their parents before them. It is one of the themes of the book that I found most interesting as it really highlighted the difference of living for one’s self or for one’s family.
Coming from an immigrant family whose English was limited and growing up in this era was something I was familiar with. That being said, I am white and cannot understand how a person of colour would experience this. I understood the looks of horror at school lunches brought (everyone had peanut butter at my school and I had liver pâté), the blue collar vs. educated/white collar lifestyles, the broken English, and other traits that made me different than my peers and often left me ostracized but I was never called slurs and no judgements about ‘’those people” were made about my family that were generalized to race.
Park has written a fantastic debut and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. Also I love the title and meanings associated with the word Inheritance in this novel.
Thank you kindly to @houseofanansi for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. Inheritance is now available!
April 8, 2026
Book review: 4.5/5 ⭐️
Genre: literary fiction
Themes: inherited trauma, race, migrant experience
📖 Read if you like: The Boat People, The Last Story of Mina Lee
This novel almost reads like it could be a memoir. Every child of immigrants, every person who was defined by their otherness in a sea of white, every person who has felt the weight of expectation and familial duty will understand this story. There were parts of this novel that could have been plucked from my own experiences, so it is safe to say I connected to the narrative.
It explored all the nuanced ways in which parents and children interact and sacrifice for each other. For those escaping poverty, war, or an intolerant regime many will migrate to new countries with hopes for a better future, even if the actuality is to new life of struggle. They will hedge all their sacrifices and hard work on the scales of their children’s future success. They will accept racism and open hostility, back breaking work and cruelty only to see their children have a chance. It is a great honour and also a great responsibility to be such children.
While the strive for academic excellence is something many children of immigrants can aspire to in payment for all the sacrifices made on their behalf, there are many side effects that are uncomfortable to dissect. The element of Asian guilt was something I felt deeply, as well the responsibility to care for your parents as they did for you. The differentiation of gender with the way sons are prized and coddled, while daughters quietly succeed and bear the burden of care. The imbedded racism within Asian cultures and the glorification of whiteness in seeking a partner or standard of beauty. The need to segregate from people that look like you lest you be typecasted. The loss of a culture, language and history, so that you can assimilate faster and belong to this new land. The exchange of personal ambition for financial stability that will benefit the whole family. This novel explored all of these topics and much more besides.
It was an incredibly relatable exploration of the immigrant experience that was both heartbreaking and insightful. A revelation of duty, love, identity, sacrifice, longing and redemption that was poignant and honest. It did not shy away from ugly truths and the traumas that are passed through family lines. There is a cost to migration and a cost to success that was beautifully rendered in this portrait of a fractured family that left on a hopeful note of healing and reconnection.
Thank you to Colored Pages book tour, Pegasus Books and Jane for a gifted copy of this book for review. I am thrilled to see a more diverse range of voices and stories being published and highly recommend this debut! Also shout out to a Canadian based narrative and author!
Genre: literary fiction
Themes: inherited trauma, race, migrant experience
📖 Read if you like: The Boat People, The Last Story of Mina Lee
This novel almost reads like it could be a memoir. Every child of immigrants, every person who was defined by their otherness in a sea of white, every person who has felt the weight of expectation and familial duty will understand this story. There were parts of this novel that could have been plucked from my own experiences, so it is safe to say I connected to the narrative.
It explored all the nuanced ways in which parents and children interact and sacrifice for each other. For those escaping poverty, war, or an intolerant regime many will migrate to new countries with hopes for a better future, even if the actuality is to new life of struggle. They will hedge all their sacrifices and hard work on the scales of their children’s future success. They will accept racism and open hostility, back breaking work and cruelty only to see their children have a chance. It is a great honour and also a great responsibility to be such children.
While the strive for academic excellence is something many children of immigrants can aspire to in payment for all the sacrifices made on their behalf, there are many side effects that are uncomfortable to dissect. The element of Asian guilt was something I felt deeply, as well the responsibility to care for your parents as they did for you. The differentiation of gender with the way sons are prized and coddled, while daughters quietly succeed and bear the burden of care. The imbedded racism within Asian cultures and the glorification of whiteness in seeking a partner or standard of beauty. The need to segregate from people that look like you lest you be typecasted. The loss of a culture, language and history, so that you can assimilate faster and belong to this new land. The exchange of personal ambition for financial stability that will benefit the whole family. This novel explored all of these topics and much more besides.
It was an incredibly relatable exploration of the immigrant experience that was both heartbreaking and insightful. A revelation of duty, love, identity, sacrifice, longing and redemption that was poignant and honest. It did not shy away from ugly truths and the traumas that are passed through family lines. There is a cost to migration and a cost to success that was beautifully rendered in this portrait of a fractured family that left on a hopeful note of healing and reconnection.
Thank you to Colored Pages book tour, Pegasus Books and Jane for a gifted copy of this book for review. I am thrilled to see a more diverse range of voices and stories being published and highly recommend this debut! Also shout out to a Canadian based narrative and author!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Park's aptly titled debut novel, INHERITANCE, meticulously examines the fault lines of a fractured Korean immigrant family with graceful precision, exploring the weight of trauma entwined with tradition and family expectations, the loneliness of growing up as "other" in a predominantly white town, and coming to terms with a complicated family history and uncomfortable truths. Part coming-of-age novel and part historical family-saga, this debut novel authentically captures the emotional toll of family sacrifice for the dream of a better life.
The story unfolds in 2014 -- as Anne, a lawyer at a large NYC law firm navigates the funeral of her father. Anne went to Yale and is the "success" of the family, compared to her older brother Charles, a self-admitted fuck-up who just got out of rehab. Interspersed between the "now," we also see Anne, Charles, and their parents in scenes from the past from the 80's and 90's. As Anne spends more time at home with her mother and Charles, she is forced to face the ghosts of her past, her complicity in derailing Charles' life, and exactly how she escaped her small-town life.
So many scenes from the novel resonated with me. As an immigrant growing up in the late 80's and 90's, some of my own life experiences parallel Anne's. Scenes of covering for friends who are not allowed to date, being responsible and "good" in the way prescribed by my parents, the feeling of loneliness and isolation, being self-sufficient and caring for siblings while our parents worked -- these all felt real and palpable.
When Anne is young, her parents tell her stories of how they were descended from kings. Anne asks why they don't move back to Korea.
Anne's mother and father immigrate to Canada for the ubiquitous desire for "better life" but is it truly better? Anne's father, a graduate of Seoul University, gave up his job to a friend before leaving Korea. In Canada, he struggles with jobs and with the language, ultimately buying a small business (with hefty loan) in the prairies of Canada. When the friend visits from Korea bearing gifts and stories of success thanking Anne's father for giving him the job, Anne's father reckons with his decision and the reality of their life in Canada, as owners of a failing grocery store dealing with racism, vandalism, and isolation.
Perhaps the most devastating, poignant part in the story is Charles' relationship with their father. Charles, who is a genius with computers and is ahead of his time, is not understood by his father. Their father's proclamation that "your life is not your own. It belongs to your family" --escalates the tension between father and son, and between Anne and Charles, affecting everyone in the family at a very high cost. As she spends more time with her brother, Anne ultimately comes to terms with her own complicity and passivity. Honestly, I'm still reeling -- #justiceforcharles.
There is a vault of pain in this story that I was not ready for. The author has done a great job in breathing life into each character, faults and all. Kudos to the author for crafting an intricate, intense family saga that truly resonates long after you've finished the story.
Thank you to Pegasus Books for the #gifted ARC.
The story unfolds in 2014 -- as Anne, a lawyer at a large NYC law firm navigates the funeral of her father. Anne went to Yale and is the "success" of the family, compared to her older brother Charles, a self-admitted fuck-up who just got out of rehab. Interspersed between the "now," we also see Anne, Charles, and their parents in scenes from the past from the 80's and 90's. As Anne spends more time at home with her mother and Charles, she is forced to face the ghosts of her past, her complicity in derailing Charles' life, and exactly how she escaped her small-town life.
So many scenes from the novel resonated with me. As an immigrant growing up in the late 80's and 90's, some of my own life experiences parallel Anne's. Scenes of covering for friends who are not allowed to date, being responsible and "good" in the way prescribed by my parents, the feeling of loneliness and isolation, being self-sufficient and caring for siblings while our parents worked -- these all felt real and palpable.
When Anne is young, her parents tell her stories of how they were descended from kings. Anne asks why they don't move back to Korea.
Anne's mother and father immigrate to Canada for the ubiquitous desire for "better life" but is it truly better? Anne's father, a graduate of Seoul University, gave up his job to a friend before leaving Korea. In Canada, he struggles with jobs and with the language, ultimately buying a small business (with hefty loan) in the prairies of Canada. When the friend visits from Korea bearing gifts and stories of success thanking Anne's father for giving him the job, Anne's father reckons with his decision and the reality of their life in Canada, as owners of a failing grocery store dealing with racism, vandalism, and isolation.
Perhaps the most devastating, poignant part in the story is Charles' relationship with their father. Charles, who is a genius with computers and is ahead of his time, is not understood by his father. Their father's proclamation that "your life is not your own. It belongs to your family" --escalates the tension between father and son, and between Anne and Charles, affecting everyone in the family at a very high cost. As she spends more time with her brother, Anne ultimately comes to terms with her own complicity and passivity. Honestly, I'm still reeling -- #justiceforcharles.
There is a vault of pain in this story that I was not ready for. The author has done a great job in breathing life into each character, faults and all. Kudos to the author for crafting an intricate, intense family saga that truly resonates long after you've finished the story.
Thank you to Pegasus Books for the #gifted ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you to Pegasus Books for the ARC!
Inheritance is a gripping exploration of family, sacrifice, intergenerational trauma, the immigrant experience, and memory. This novel follows Anne Kim is told between two timelines — the present day (2014-2015) in the wake of her father’s passing, and her childhood memories. The dual timeline makes for an engrossing read, beginning with how the family ends up and going back in time to discover the events that led up to them becoming how they were.
Growing up as one of the only Korean American and Asian immigrant families in Edmonton and a rural Canadian prairie town in the 1980s and 90s, Anne wanted nothing more than to fit in with her white peers. Her family navigates racism and discrimination on top of trying to make a living in Canada amidst everything they had to leave behind in Korea.
In 2014, Anne is a successful lawyer in New York, financially supporting her family. She has what looks like the perfect life, but she isn’t fulfilled or happy. After her father’s passing, she must grapple with some questions of the past and how the weight of her father’s expectations led her brother down one path and her down another.
As a character-driven reader, Anne wasn’t the most interesting protagonist to read as she was often very passive in her behavior, and we don’t get to look much into her thoughts and motivations for much of the novel. However, as the child of immigrants, I related to the ways Anne felt pressured to assimilate at the cost of erasing her own family’s culture and heritage, and the immense weight of Confucianism and filial piety. As we get more context into the lives and backstories of Anne’s family and what happened to them during her childhood, the pieces fall into place and the plot unfolds. I couldn’t help but sympathize and root for Anne, who navigates various challenges to the best of her ability and is finally able to start thinking about what she wants for herself as an adult.
Inheritance is a gripping exploration of family, sacrifice, intergenerational trauma, the immigrant experience, and memory. This novel follows Anne Kim is told between two timelines — the present day (2014-2015) in the wake of her father’s passing, and her childhood memories. The dual timeline makes for an engrossing read, beginning with how the family ends up and going back in time to discover the events that led up to them becoming how they were.
Growing up as one of the only Korean American and Asian immigrant families in Edmonton and a rural Canadian prairie town in the 1980s and 90s, Anne wanted nothing more than to fit in with her white peers. Her family navigates racism and discrimination on top of trying to make a living in Canada amidst everything they had to leave behind in Korea.
In 2014, Anne is a successful lawyer in New York, financially supporting her family. She has what looks like the perfect life, but she isn’t fulfilled or happy. After her father’s passing, she must grapple with some questions of the past and how the weight of her father’s expectations led her brother down one path and her down another.
As a character-driven reader, Anne wasn’t the most interesting protagonist to read as she was often very passive in her behavior, and we don’t get to look much into her thoughts and motivations for much of the novel. However, as the child of immigrants, I related to the ways Anne felt pressured to assimilate at the cost of erasing her own family’s culture and heritage, and the immense weight of Confucianism and filial piety. As we get more context into the lives and backstories of Anne’s family and what happened to them during her childhood, the pieces fall into place and the plot unfolds. I couldn’t help but sympathize and root for Anne, who navigates various challenges to the best of her ability and is finally able to start thinking about what she wants for herself as an adult.
March 29, 2026
Thank you to Colored Pages Book Tours and Pegasus Books for the gifted copy.
Wow, what a debut novel from Jane Park. A nuanced, character driven story exploring a Korean family’s experience in the early 90s after immigrating to a Canadian prairie town. Exploring how trauma transfers generation to generation and the challenges immigrant families face - showcasing both the sacrifices made by parents and sacrifices made by their children.
I was moved by this story that felt like I was reading a memoir. The author shared that although this work was entirely fictional, many of the racists scenes come from her lived experiences.
A beautifully told story. I was engrossed throughout with the plot alluding to a catastrophic event that changes the trajectory of the family’s lives. Told in alternating timelines with the story flashing back to the 90s and the main character’s childhood.
I highly recommend if you are a fan of historical fictions or memoirs. And I encourage that even if those genres are not your favorites, to pick this story up and get curious about the lived experiences different from your own.
Wow, what a debut novel from Jane Park. A nuanced, character driven story exploring a Korean family’s experience in the early 90s after immigrating to a Canadian prairie town. Exploring how trauma transfers generation to generation and the challenges immigrant families face - showcasing both the sacrifices made by parents and sacrifices made by their children.
I was moved by this story that felt like I was reading a memoir. The author shared that although this work was entirely fictional, many of the racists scenes come from her lived experiences.
A beautifully told story. I was engrossed throughout with the plot alluding to a catastrophic event that changes the trajectory of the family’s lives. Told in alternating timelines with the story flashing back to the 90s and the main character’s childhood.
I highly recommend if you are a fan of historical fictions or memoirs. And I encourage that even if those genres are not your favorites, to pick this story up and get curious about the lived experiences different from your own.
April 28, 2026
Thank you so much House of Anansi for sending me a copy of this book!!
This was utterly amazing I have no words....
I can't believe this is is Jane's debut, this whole story pulled at my heart strings. This is a story about the immigrant experience from the point of view of children immigrant. We go back and forth between past and present and see how the pressures of duty and expectations shaped both Anne and Charles lives.
Anne and Charles parents have immigrated to Canada from Korea to give their children a better life. You see the expectations put on both siblings by their parents and the emotional and mental toll that takes on both of them throughout their lives. You see both brother and sister struggle to fit in with their community and meet their parents expectations while their parents are struggling to support their family and adapt to life in Canada.
I think this is such an amazing story that deals with complex family dynamics, the immigrant experience and self acceptance. I urge EVERYONE to read this book, it is such a fantastic story and I cannot wait to see what other stories Jane writes!!!
This was utterly amazing I have no words....
I can't believe this is is Jane's debut, this whole story pulled at my heart strings. This is a story about the immigrant experience from the point of view of children immigrant. We go back and forth between past and present and see how the pressures of duty and expectations shaped both Anne and Charles lives.
Anne and Charles parents have immigrated to Canada from Korea to give their children a better life. You see the expectations put on both siblings by their parents and the emotional and mental toll that takes on both of them throughout their lives. You see both brother and sister struggle to fit in with their community and meet their parents expectations while their parents are struggling to support their family and adapt to life in Canada.
I think this is such an amazing story that deals with complex family dynamics, the immigrant experience and self acceptance. I urge EVERYONE to read this book, it is such a fantastic story and I cannot wait to see what other stories Jane writes!!!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Anne, a Korean Canadian NYC lawyer, comes home to the prairies after her father’s death. As she reads old letters her father sent his brother, left in North Korea, it brings up past trauma and devastation from her childhood.
An amazing story, it’s hard to believe it’s a debut! The writing is well done and very easy to follow. It will make you feel a lot, especially at the end as you understand the Kim’s full family history. It’s a genuine look at the immigrant experience, and trying to fit in with a new culture. It truly portrayed the feeling of “otherness” and the tug and pull of the young second generation with the old and new. I loved the past chapters as we see Anne trying to fit in. While Anne is the main character, a lot of the plot revolves around the father and son relationship and the devastation that can occur through a lack of connection or cultural differences.
“Sometimes you need to process the bad in order to get to the good.”
Read if you like:
-Immigration experience
-Generational trauma
-Sibling relationships
-Coming home stories
Inheritance comes out 4/7.
An amazing story, it’s hard to believe it’s a debut! The writing is well done and very easy to follow. It will make you feel a lot, especially at the end as you understand the Kim’s full family history. It’s a genuine look at the immigrant experience, and trying to fit in with a new culture. It truly portrayed the feeling of “otherness” and the tug and pull of the young second generation with the old and new. I loved the past chapters as we see Anne trying to fit in. While Anne is the main character, a lot of the plot revolves around the father and son relationship and the devastation that can occur through a lack of connection or cultural differences.
“Sometimes you need to process the bad in order to get to the good.”
Read if you like:
-Immigration experience
-Generational trauma
-Sibling relationships
-Coming home stories
Inheritance comes out 4/7.
April 28, 2026
There are many excellent reviews of Inheritance. I do hope that Jane Park will continue to write as she has the potential to be an important writer. Her ability to describe and explore the Korean immigrant story appears very real. As other reviewers have noted, at times the book seems to be a memoir. There are so many themes that book groups could discuss—poverty, stress of moving into a new country and culture, trying to raise a family in a very different world, loss of connections, unresolved problems, legal challenges, struggles of learning English, racism, generation gaps and hope. Jane Park covers so much in her book. This is definitely a book worth recommending to others. Hopefully, I will get to hear Jane Park at Wordfest or another literary event in Calgary.
Congratulations. Hopefully, the next book won’t take 10 years—though I appreciate how much work it takes to put a story together that is embedded within one’s own culture and (perhaps) the circumstances of family or friends.
Congratulations. Hopefully, the next book won’t take 10 years—though I appreciate how much work it takes to put a story together that is embedded within one’s own culture and (perhaps) the circumstances of family or friends.
Review of advance copy received from Author
What a phenomenally written debut novel!! It follows a Korean family and their life journey and struggles as they migrate to Canada to raise their children, jumping back and forth between the past and the present.
The way I could not get it out of my head. It made me feel a whole TON of different emotions. I became very invested in the characters and to be honest certain parts wrecked me just a bit because of that…but to me that is what makes it such a good book. Being able to feel so connected to the plot and the characters and being able to feel emotion right along side them. To feel pain when they hurt and to cheer them on in their comebacks. To close the book and wish it wasn’t over.
I also am huge on learning about different cultures as well as their traditions, and love when a book can teach you a little of that inside a story!
I absolutely adored the authors writing style, and I certainly will be excited for future work.
The way I could not get it out of my head. It made me feel a whole TON of different emotions. I became very invested in the characters and to be honest certain parts wrecked me just a bit because of that…but to me that is what makes it such a good book. Being able to feel so connected to the plot and the characters and being able to feel emotion right along side them. To feel pain when they hurt and to cheer them on in their comebacks. To close the book and wish it wasn’t over.
I also am huge on learning about different cultures as well as their traditions, and love when a book can teach you a little of that inside a story!
I absolutely adored the authors writing style, and I certainly will be excited for future work.
April 20, 2026
This debut novel by @sweet_baby_jane and out now from @houseofanansi knocked my socks off! Excellent novel, layered in so many issues, but most of all immigration and family. Anne Kim is now a successful lawyer in New York, but she doesn't like to go back home to Alberta very often, and she certainly doesn't want to talk about her past. Deeply moving and centered around Anne and her brother, Charles, and their parents, who immigrated to Canada from Korea. I love a book about complicated family relationships, especially brother and sister ones and family obligations. There is so much to relate to in that sense, but also so much to learn about immigration and difficult journeys and family trauma. In today's world I think reading different viewpoints and cultivating empathy is super important and this book does an amazing job at that. Looking at racism in small town Canada is not easy, but it is important. An excellent read!
May 6, 2026
Inheritance by Jane Park
Fiction, trauma fiction (check the content warning if you are sensitive mainly of childhood trauma)
The book centers Anne, who returns to her home town in Canada for her father's funeral. She has become a successful attorney in New York, but she has grown up in a small town where her family, immigrated from Korea, struggled to fit in when she was growing up. The book is very well written and I felt I learned a lot about her experiences, like listening to someone's true stories. It's believable and painful. I think this would make a good book for AAPI month book clubs. There are also not too many books I think that is located in a small Canadian town, which I appreciated.
To me personally, the almost entire book felt downtrodden, a very long song in a minor note. Without some rays of light, the entire thing is very gloomy. There are some violence and threat of violence, which I didn't enjoy.
Audiobook is well narrated.
Fiction, trauma fiction (check the content warning if you are sensitive mainly of childhood trauma)
The book centers Anne, who returns to her home town in Canada for her father's funeral. She has become a successful attorney in New York, but she has grown up in a small town where her family, immigrated from Korea, struggled to fit in when she was growing up. The book is very well written and I felt I learned a lot about her experiences, like listening to someone's true stories. It's believable and painful. I think this would make a good book for AAPI month book clubs. There are also not too many books I think that is located in a small Canadian town, which I appreciated.
To me personally, the almost entire book felt downtrodden, a very long song in a minor note. Without some rays of light, the entire thing is very gloomy. There are some violence and threat of violence, which I didn't enjoy.
Audiobook is well narrated.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
5★ // 𝘈𝘯𝘯𝘦 𝘒𝘪𝘮, 𝘢 𝘒𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯, 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳�� 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵.
"𝘐𝘯𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 explores the immigrant experience, the sacrifices made by both parents and children, and the way trauma is transferred to the next generation. As Anne completes her journey to the past, she emerges to finally define life on her own terms." — From the publisher
— 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵:
✈️ Immigrant story
🏡 Familial relationships
🧑🧑🧒🧒 Generational trauma
⏳️ Dual timelines
💖 Self-identity & discovery
I am a Canadian daughter of East Asian immigrant parents. Although I rarely read literary fiction, this story caught my attention because it really speaks to the generational trauma and racial discrimination that the Asian-Canadian community has faced and still faces, as well as navigating growing up in two very different cultures—the collectivist & Confucian traditions from the East vs. the individualistic, autonomous mindset of the West—and how this duality shapes us and our unique experiences.
What I particularly appreciated about this read was that it shared the different perspectives of both the immigrant parents and their children, and how this affected not only their relationships with each other and the world around them, but also their relationships with themselves. It’s the story of one family’s decades-long journey to making peace with their lives.
Thank you to Jane, Pegasus Books & Colored Pages Book Tour for the opportunity to read and review this story written for second-generation immigrant children like myself.
✨️ You can find my full review + a message from the author on ebbonyandlune.com ✨️
"𝘐𝘯𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 explores the immigrant experience, the sacrifices made by both parents and children, and the way trauma is transferred to the next generation. As Anne completes her journey to the past, she emerges to finally define life on her own terms." — From the publisher
— 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵:
✈️ Immigrant story
🏡 Familial relationships
🧑🧑🧒🧒 Generational trauma
⏳️ Dual timelines
💖 Self-identity & discovery
I am a Canadian daughter of East Asian immigrant parents. Although I rarely read literary fiction, this story caught my attention because it really speaks to the generational trauma and racial discrimination that the Asian-Canadian community has faced and still faces, as well as navigating growing up in two very different cultures—the collectivist & Confucian traditions from the East vs. the individualistic, autonomous mindset of the West—and how this duality shapes us and our unique experiences.
What I particularly appreciated about this read was that it shared the different perspectives of both the immigrant parents and their children, and how this affected not only their relationships with each other and the world around them, but also their relationships with themselves. It’s the story of one family’s decades-long journey to making peace with their lives.
Thank you to Jane, Pegasus Books & Colored Pages Book Tour for the opportunity to read and review this story written for second-generation immigrant children like myself.
✨️ You can find my full review + a message from the author on ebbonyandlune.com ✨️
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A poignant and emotional read about the immigrant experience, treatment, trying to fit in. Although a much serious genre, this book reminds me of Kim’s Convenience.
Based on some of the author’s experiences, Inheritance follows the story of Anne, who discovers her father was from North Korea after his death. Her attempts to delve deeper into his past is met with resistance from her mother.
Written from Anne’s point of view, we are taken on a journey through the past(early 90s) and the present (2014/2015). The book explores generational trauma, racism, sacrifice and familial pressures.
It highlights the plight of immigrants everywhere- pressure, suspicion, hierarchy, fear and questions of identity. It also exposes the dichotomy between the boy and girl child and the burden each bears.
This book is a must read perfect for fans of historical/contemporary fiction.
Based on some of the author’s experiences, Inheritance follows the story of Anne, who discovers her father was from North Korea after his death. Her attempts to delve deeper into his past is met with resistance from her mother.
Written from Anne’s point of view, we are taken on a journey through the past(early 90s) and the present (2014/2015). The book explores generational trauma, racism, sacrifice and familial pressures.
It highlights the plight of immigrants everywhere- pressure, suspicion, hierarchy, fear and questions of identity. It also exposes the dichotomy between the boy and girl child and the burden each bears.
This book is a must read perfect for fans of historical/contemporary fiction.
April 26, 2026
I split my viewpoint of this into two parts.
For the story of a Southeast Asian family with the conflict of Korean values vs. Canadian culture, I thought this was so well done. I really liked the conflict that exists between one child who is trying to keep her parents happy vs. her sibling who is following his own dreams even though it upsets his father. The pressure dad puts on the kids was well developed. I feel like this is very realistic.
I thought that the racism immigrant families go through was seamlessly woven throughout.
On the other hand, I was only ok with the story. I thought the story was decent, but I was not fully engaged in it throughout. I found myself less interested at times.
For the story of a Southeast Asian family with the conflict of Korean values vs. Canadian culture, I thought this was so well done. I really liked the conflict that exists between one child who is trying to keep her parents happy vs. her sibling who is following his own dreams even though it upsets his father. The pressure dad puts on the kids was well developed. I feel like this is very realistic.
I thought that the racism immigrant families go through was seamlessly woven throughout.
On the other hand, I was only ok with the story. I thought the story was decent, but I was not fully engaged in it throughout. I found myself less interested at times.
May 3, 2026
Anne is a successful lawyer in New York City who has tried hard to put her childhood as the daughter of Korean immigrants behind her. During her youth in rural Alberta, her parents struggled to be accepted, yet both worked long hours to provide for Anne and her older brother, Charles. Charles chafed under his parents strict rules and discipline, so Anne took his place as the child that would achieve all their parent's dreams by going to Yale and making a generous salary. Anne's father has just passed away, so she's back in Edmonton for the funeral and to settle his financial affairs. It is also time for Anne to reflect on the past and to think about what she really wants out of life. A story about the memories of childhood, familial obligation, and coming to terms with the past.
May 18, 2026
Anne, a lawyer working in New York City, travels home to Edmonton for her father's funeral and to clean up his affairs. Her tasks include selling property in a remote Alberta community where the family lived for a number of years, and which was the site of a traumatic event.
Memories come flooding back...
This was very good. Themes of immigration and its impact on the next generation, and family dynamics and individuals' roles within the family. The dual-timeline structure worked really well; I found both timelines engaging from start to finish. Overall an excellent book showcasing the Canadian immigrant experience from multiple angles.
Thank you to the publisher House of Anansi for the free copy to read and review.
Memories come flooding back...
This was very good. Themes of immigration and its impact on the next generation, and family dynamics and individuals' roles within the family. The dual-timeline structure worked really well; I found both timelines engaging from start to finish. Overall an excellent book showcasing the Canadian immigrant experience from multiple angles.
Thank you to the publisher House of Anansi for the free copy to read and review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I read this and literally had tears running down my face. I could feel the story emanating from my heart and my mind. Every immigrant children will have reader’s digest version of their experiences and stories to tell and this one absolutely hit the head on the nail. Personally I feel that this book was written almost like the author’s memoir and I could feel her writing in ways that I can’t describe easily. The storyline from tradition, culture, ways of life and filial relationships have moderated the story for readers to discover the true nature behind the characters and their lives. I can’t wait to read more of Jane Park’s work.
April 28, 2026
|| INHERITANCE ||
#gifted @houseofanansi
#anansireadingprogram
Thanks for the gifted copy!
•
"My father passed away yesterday. It was a sudden death from a stroke that occurred, poetically, near the stroke of midnight. My father was driving home with my mother after visiting my brother at the rehabilitation center, when he fell forward onto the steering wheel. My mother gripped the wheel gently steered the car onto the shoulder of the highway. When she recounted this moment she omitted all emotions that a wife of forty years would have felt and methodically outlined what happened next: how she called the ambulance, the time it took for the ambulance to come, the rush into the emergency room, how the doctor shook his head when he saw my father's condition, and how, six hours later, he was declared dead. She ended her story using the phrase in perfect English, " He was declared dead," with drama and finality which made me realize even my own mother, at times, enjoyed being histrionic."
•
This first paragraph gripped me and I couldn't put this book down! That this was a debut was really impressive. This novel has so many layers. Park does such a wonderful job examining family dynamics, generational trauma, the immigrant experience and more. I loved how this story was crafted and carried out. A resonating read.
#gifted @houseofanansi
#anansireadingprogram
Thanks for the gifted copy!
•
"My father passed away yesterday. It was a sudden death from a stroke that occurred, poetically, near the stroke of midnight. My father was driving home with my mother after visiting my brother at the rehabilitation center, when he fell forward onto the steering wheel. My mother gripped the wheel gently steered the car onto the shoulder of the highway. When she recounted this moment she omitted all emotions that a wife of forty years would have felt and methodically outlined what happened next: how she called the ambulance, the time it took for the ambulance to come, the rush into the emergency room, how the doctor shook his head when he saw my father's condition, and how, six hours later, he was declared dead. She ended her story using the phrase in perfect English, " He was declared dead," with drama and finality which made me realize even my own mother, at times, enjoyed being histrionic."
•
This first paragraph gripped me and I couldn't put this book down! That this was a debut was really impressive. This novel has so many layers. Park does such a wonderful job examining family dynamics, generational trauma, the immigrant experience and more. I loved how this story was crafted and carried out. A resonating read.
April 11, 2026
A debut that sat with me for a while after I finished. There’s something about Anne’s story that just lingers, especially the way her guilt and memories slowly resurface in ways she can’t ignore.
It left me feeling reflective more than anything, thinking about family, expectations, and all the things that go unsaid. Watching Anne come to terms with her past felt quiet but powerful, and it stayed with me long after the final page.
Thank you to Jane Park and Lavender PR for the advance copy!
#TheInheritance #JanePark #BookReview #LiteraryFiction
It left me feeling reflective more than anything, thinking about family, expectations, and all the things that go unsaid. Watching Anne come to terms with her past felt quiet but powerful, and it stayed with me long after the final page.
Thank you to Jane Park and Lavender PR for the advance copy!
#TheInheritance #JanePark #BookReview #LiteraryFiction
April 19, 2026
I ripped through this in a few days after a very long dry spell for novels. Park expertly weaves the past and the present, showing the myriad ways in which people’s lives can still be affected by decisions taken by our parents even before we were born. The racism that the protagonist and her family experience on the prairies is so well rendered and complex, especially the feeling the protagonist describes of being unable to befriend the one other Asian girl in town. I really enjoyed it!
April 24, 2026
A luminous and masterfully written novel, Inheritance offers a poignant exploration of the immigrant experience in Canada. Jane Park skillfully navigates the intricate, often heavy dynamics of family expectations and the delicate friction between generations.
The narrative strikes a profound balance between beauty and heartbreak, providing a resonant look at the complexities of cultural identity. This is a deeply moving, essential read. Highly recommended.
The narrative strikes a profound balance between beauty and heartbreak, providing a resonant look at the complexities of cultural identity. This is a deeply moving, essential read. Highly recommended.
April 26, 2026
Readers get a small understanding of the hardships faced by immigrants and the difficulty with expectations brought to their children. This would make an excellent Adult book club book as there is much to discuss. Read more on my blog about this ARC I was sent by the publisher in exchange for an honest review: https://shouldireaditornot.wordpress....
May 1, 2026
I loved this book, and I think the dual timeline was done perfectly. Sometimes it's hard to read about characters clearly having a bad time, so i had to keep putting this book down and switch to something a bit more lighthearted, but every time i did, i still kept thinking about this. it's so easy to get sucked into anne's world. the ending was a bit fast, but everything else was perfect
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