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Five Stones
“You’ve given me a proposal that no self-respecting woman could possibly accept.”
Jihae and Donghoon first meet at her family’s Korean BBQ restaurant. Jihae overhears Donghoon insulting her sister, Mihae, to Baesuk. Seething with indignation, she almost spills a bowl of hot soup on his lap. Later, they meet again at her church. She thinks he is an arrogant bastard who thinks he is better than everyone else, and he thinks she is a gold-digger who has no morals. Finally, when they meet for the third time at the engineering and construction firm where she works, both are unsettled and intrigued by one another.
Over the course of many months, the two elder Kim sisters, Mihae and Jihae, struggle and then triumph over their mother’s plans for their future, the misunderstandings with the men they love, and the other people’s machinations to find love and happiness.
Jihae and Donghoon first meet at her family’s Korean BBQ restaurant. Jihae overhears Donghoon insulting her sister, Mihae, to Baesuk. Seething with indignation, she almost spills a bowl of hot soup on his lap. Later, they meet again at her church. She thinks he is an arrogant bastard who thinks he is better than everyone else, and he thinks she is a gold-digger who has no morals. Finally, when they meet for the third time at the engineering and construction firm where she works, both are unsettled and intrigued by one another.
Over the course of many months, the two elder Kim sisters, Mihae and Jihae, struggle and then triumph over their mother’s plans for their future, the misunderstandings with the men they love, and the other people’s machinations to find love and happiness.
380 pages, Paperback
First published November 21, 2014
422 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer R. Kim
3 books7 followersJennifer R. Kim was born in Korea and grew up in the San Francisco Bay area. She graduated from UC Berkeley with an engineering degree and worked for high tech firms in the Silicon Valley before she began her career as a writer.
She is the author of Waiting for Appa, Last Chance Lane, and Five Stones. She lives in California with her family.
WHERE TO FIND THE BOOK:
Amazon.com.
RADIO INTERVIEW:
http://kpfa.org/archive/id/58411
COMMENTS FROM THE WRITER'S DIGEST SELF-PUBLISHED BOOK CONTEST:
Waiting for Appa is a poignant and intelligent novel. The dialogue has the ring of "real" speech, and the narration is fluent and concise. The descriptions are vivid and controlled. The prologue and epilogue nicely frame the story, and the central character's epiphany in the end is eloquently expressed.
REVIEWS FROM OTHER WEBSITES:
AMAZON.com:Couldn't put it down!, January 18, 2010 By S. Wood
I began reading this book on my flight home to see my family for the holidays. The first few days I was home, I constantly had that book in my hand. Everyone kept asking me, "What is this book that you're reading?!" I just couldn't put it down. I was so fascinated by it.
I thought the author did a beautiful job getting into the thoughts of the main charater, Eunhae, at each age in her progression through life. When Eunhae was 9, I really thought of her like a 9 year old. When she was in college or an adult, she truly seemed to take on those characteristics. I felt like I watched a little girl grow up.
One other thing I thought was fascinating was to see the difficulties that a first generation immigrant often faces. It is amazing how these people often have lives that were so successful in their homeland and then they have to take on such degrading jobs and sacrifice so much just to make it in America. It gave me a new level of respect for the immigrant families that I encounter.
Great read! Definitely recommend it!!
BARNESANDNOBLE.COM:Waiting for Appa
Reader Rating Posted October 22, 2009, 12:49 AM EST: Reading "Waiting for Appa" was like watching a movie in which the characters were all from my own family or circle of friends and acquaintances! Every word spoke to my heart, and I felt as though I was experiencing the same thoughts and feelings as the main character. It was even more of a treat because I got to read it with my own 14 year old daughter, and it gave us an opportunity to talk about my own immigrant experience of growing up in Northern California in the 80s.
AMAZON.COM:Good Read!, August 7, 2009
By J. Miguelino (Milpitas, CA United States)
I love that this story shows a girl's point of view and eventually growing up and learning that there is more than meets the eye of her beloved appa (daddy), and family. She never lets go of her father who has sacrificed so much to bring his family to America. Eventually she grows up emotionally and finds herself while visiting her homeland. This is a fascinating story, revealing many real-life challenges immigrants face, whether young or old, while struggling to find their place in this new place they call home. I read this book in one day, couldn't put it down long!
AMAZON.COM: Great read!, July 27, 2009
By R. Ceglia (Newark CA)
The book is very readable in a mellifluous style. It should be a must-read for young immigrants who can relate to the multiple themes in the book. It has specific Korean nuances but that in itself is what makes it relatable to other cultures' uniqueness and universality. I especially enjoyed the passages on social status, church, color of skin, shape of eyes, other traditions and even ways of eating. But when it comes down to it, it is all about the sanctity of family, and not necessarily the family you were born into, and the value of hard work in all vicissitudes of life. I cannot wait for the next book from this very promising fledglin
She is the author of Waiting for Appa, Last Chance Lane, and Five Stones. She lives in California with her family.
WHERE TO FIND THE BOOK:
Amazon.com.
RADIO INTERVIEW:
http://kpfa.org/archive/id/58411
COMMENTS FROM THE WRITER'S DIGEST SELF-PUBLISHED BOOK CONTEST:
Waiting for Appa is a poignant and intelligent novel. The dialogue has the ring of "real" speech, and the narration is fluent and concise. The descriptions are vivid and controlled. The prologue and epilogue nicely frame the story, and the central character's epiphany in the end is eloquently expressed.
REVIEWS FROM OTHER WEBSITES:
AMAZON.com:Couldn't put it down!, January 18, 2010 By S. Wood
I began reading this book on my flight home to see my family for the holidays. The first few days I was home, I constantly had that book in my hand. Everyone kept asking me, "What is this book that you're reading?!" I just couldn't put it down. I was so fascinated by it.
I thought the author did a beautiful job getting into the thoughts of the main charater, Eunhae, at each age in her progression through life. When Eunhae was 9, I really thought of her like a 9 year old. When she was in college or an adult, she truly seemed to take on those characteristics. I felt like I watched a little girl grow up.
One other thing I thought was fascinating was to see the difficulties that a first generation immigrant often faces. It is amazing how these people often have lives that were so successful in their homeland and then they have to take on such degrading jobs and sacrifice so much just to make it in America. It gave me a new level of respect for the immigrant families that I encounter.
Great read! Definitely recommend it!!
BARNESANDNOBLE.COM:Waiting for Appa
Reader Rating Posted October 22, 2009, 12:49 AM EST: Reading "Waiting for Appa" was like watching a movie in which the characters were all from my own family or circle of friends and acquaintances! Every word spoke to my heart, and I felt as though I was experiencing the same thoughts and feelings as the main character. It was even more of a treat because I got to read it with my own 14 year old daughter, and it gave us an opportunity to talk about my own immigrant experience of growing up in Northern California in the 80s.
AMAZON.COM:Good Read!, August 7, 2009
By J. Miguelino (Milpitas, CA United States)
I love that this story shows a girl's point of view and eventually growing up and learning that there is more than meets the eye of her beloved appa (daddy), and family. She never lets go of her father who has sacrificed so much to bring his family to America. Eventually she grows up emotionally and finds herself while visiting her homeland. This is a fascinating story, revealing many real-life challenges immigrants face, whether young or old, while struggling to find their place in this new place they call home. I read this book in one day, couldn't put it down long!
AMAZON.COM: Great read!, July 27, 2009
By R. Ceglia (Newark CA)
The book is very readable in a mellifluous style. It should be a must-read for young immigrants who can relate to the multiple themes in the book. It has specific Korean nuances but that in itself is what makes it relatable to other cultures' uniqueness and universality. I especially enjoyed the passages on social status, church, color of skin, shape of eyes, other traditions and even ways of eating. But when it comes down to it, it is all about the sanctity of family, and not necessarily the family you were born into, and the value of hard work in all vicissitudes of life. I cannot wait for the next book from this very promising fledglin
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 10, 2015
Jennifer Kim's novel, Five Stones, is an enjoyable read packed with believable characters and engaging dialogue. The story, set in current-day San Francisco, centers on the Kim Family. The five daughters—Mihae, Jihae, Soonhae, Kihae and Marhae—are all born in United States, but they are still held to the standards of their Korean heritage, particularly as it pertains to courting and marriage.
Though Mrs. Kim loves her five daughters—each unique in her own way—her attitude toward them is clear: after graduating from college, she wants them married.
Mihae and Jihae, the two oldest daughters, who have "utterly failed to procure a husband, acceptable or not," cannot escape their mother's determination as she sets up suhn after suhn (a blind marriage date, sometimes accompanied by the dating pair's mothers) without their approval. They protest, but the strong-willed Mrs. Kim is unrelenting.
The middle daughter, Soonhae, has other plans for her life, and the two younger daughters are not yet of marrying age. Though Mrs. Kim's focus is on her two oldest daughters, it does not stop her from fretting about her younger daughters, hoping they will find husbands at the appropriate time, as well.
Romance blossoms throughout the book, but several twists and turns keep the reader wondering if Mihae and Jihae will ever find true love. It is an enjoyable read, but unfortunately, this self-published book did not undergo a thorough editorial review for grammar, punctuation, and style, which is reflected in the overall rating.
by Enid Cokinos
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
Though Mrs. Kim loves her five daughters—each unique in her own way—her attitude toward them is clear: after graduating from college, she wants them married.
When her daughters were children, they were like five beautiful jewels strung around her neck...As they grew older, the worries over their future, specifically the question of marriage, turned the precious jewels into rough stones. Some were smaller than others, but all of them heavy, jagged and cutting. With each passing year, the five stones around her neck grew heavier, and the pressing burden was unbearable at times.
Mihae and Jihae, the two oldest daughters, who have "utterly failed to procure a husband, acceptable or not," cannot escape their mother's determination as she sets up suhn after suhn (a blind marriage date, sometimes accompanied by the dating pair's mothers) without their approval. They protest, but the strong-willed Mrs. Kim is unrelenting.
The middle daughter, Soonhae, has other plans for her life, and the two younger daughters are not yet of marrying age. Though Mrs. Kim's focus is on her two oldest daughters, it does not stop her from fretting about her younger daughters, hoping they will find husbands at the appropriate time, as well.
Romance blossoms throughout the book, but several twists and turns keep the reader wondering if Mihae and Jihae will ever find true love. It is an enjoyable read, but unfortunately, this self-published book did not undergo a thorough editorial review for grammar, punctuation, and style, which is reflected in the overall rating.
by Enid Cokinos
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
June 10, 2015
I'm posting a review I received from readersfavorite.com. It took 16 weeks to get a free review from this site, and I'd have to say it was well worth the wait. Thanks, Reader's Favorite.com!
Reviewed by Nandita Keshavan for Readers' Favorite
Five Stones is an excellent modern Korean-American version of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice by Jennifer Kim. I enjoyed reading about the Kim family's story, with witty and dramatic twists of the plot and the suspense of two unexpected romances, with their celebrations and struggles. At the head of the family is a stern but loving matriarch who makes multiple attempts to ensure that of her five daughters, those who are eligible to marry will find a suitable match. The Kim family is an interesting one, with each daughter adopting distinct traits. The five daughters are like five stones around her neck till she finds suitable marriage partners for them.
This book will appeal to readers who are interested in family matchmaking alongside secret interests with an Asia twist. Furthermore, it contains the medley of humour, suspense and heart-rending moments of Austen's work, but with a modern feel. I really appreciated the lack of pretentiousness of the characters. Though the story has twists and turns, you still get the effect that the events could happen to anyone in similar circumstances, that all the characters are believable and likeable. The plot in the book concerning the eldest daughter - Marhae - is the most interesting and the suspense, love, persistence, humility, jealousy and trust issues are riveting, and run alongside and overlap with the issues that Marhae faces. It's an engaging book which warns against false first impressions and shows the value of intuition versus believing false stereotypes. I believe it would make a great film, and would appeal to people of all ages.
Reviewed by Nandita Keshavan for Readers' Favorite
Five Stones is an excellent modern Korean-American version of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice by Jennifer Kim. I enjoyed reading about the Kim family's story, with witty and dramatic twists of the plot and the suspense of two unexpected romances, with their celebrations and struggles. At the head of the family is a stern but loving matriarch who makes multiple attempts to ensure that of her five daughters, those who are eligible to marry will find a suitable match. The Kim family is an interesting one, with each daughter adopting distinct traits. The five daughters are like five stones around her neck till she finds suitable marriage partners for them.
This book will appeal to readers who are interested in family matchmaking alongside secret interests with an Asia twist. Furthermore, it contains the medley of humour, suspense and heart-rending moments of Austen's work, but with a modern feel. I really appreciated the lack of pretentiousness of the characters. Though the story has twists and turns, you still get the effect that the events could happen to anyone in similar circumstances, that all the characters are believable and likeable. The plot in the book concerning the eldest daughter - Marhae - is the most interesting and the suspense, love, persistence, humility, jealousy and trust issues are riveting, and run alongside and overlap with the issues that Marhae faces. It's an engaging book which warns against false first impressions and shows the value of intuition versus believing false stereotypes. I believe it would make a great film, and would appeal to people of all ages.
November 25, 2015
I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
This is a good adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. It dragged a bit with the sisters consoling one another but the reader gets just what they expect. It isn’t the destination (we know where we are going) but the journey.
There are some cultural elements, which I always find interesting, but as the girls are American it is not a very strong element. We never expect these highly educated young women to go along with what their mother might plan for them, even if they do sometimes do things to get her to stop complaining.
I did notice some errors, which is saying something as I am awful at spelling and grammar, but they were not too distracting and you should be able to enjoy this story just fine.
This is a good adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. It dragged a bit with the sisters consoling one another but the reader gets just what they expect. It isn’t the destination (we know where we are going) but the journey.
There are some cultural elements, which I always find interesting, but as the girls are American it is not a very strong element. We never expect these highly educated young women to go along with what their mother might plan for them, even if they do sometimes do things to get her to stop complaining.
I did notice some errors, which is saying something as I am awful at spelling and grammar, but they were not too distracting and you should be able to enjoy this story just fine.
April 7, 2015
I was fortunate enough to win this book in a giveaway. I enjoyed reading this book . Can't wait to read more books from the author . Highly recommend !!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews