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American Hagwon
Not yet published
Expected 29 Sep 26Min Jin Lee, the acclaimed author of Pachinko, returns with a breathtaking contemporary epic that follows one family as they reckon with personal dreams and familial duty.
John and Helen Koh and their three children – Bo, DH and Mido – are building new lives in Korea when they find their worlds upended, first by a terrible betrayal and then by the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Striving to regain their footing, the Kohs set out to do whatever it takes to provide for their children’s futures.
They leave Seoul for Sydney and eventually settle in California, where new opportunities open for the Koh children, as the parents, strangers in a strange land, adjust to a difficult existence in which their qualifications mean little. Their way forward is lit by the faith that education will lead the next generation to the success and security that have eluded their parents.
The Kohs, their friends, relatives and even their foes move in and out of each other’s lives as they navigate love, work, fortune and fulfilment across the years. But with each new sacrifice and fresh horizon, larger questions begin to open up before them: what are we willing to give up to secure the happiness of the ones we love? What is the purpose of education? And what is truly important for a good life?
American Hagwon is the most ambitious and extraordinary work yet by one of our greatest novelists, Min Jin Lee.
John and Helen Koh and their three children – Bo, DH and Mido – are building new lives in Korea when they find their worlds upended, first by a terrible betrayal and then by the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Striving to regain their footing, the Kohs set out to do whatever it takes to provide for their children’s futures.
They leave Seoul for Sydney and eventually settle in California, where new opportunities open for the Koh children, as the parents, strangers in a strange land, adjust to a difficult existence in which their qualifications mean little. Their way forward is lit by the faith that education will lead the next generation to the success and security that have eluded their parents.
The Kohs, their friends, relatives and even their foes move in and out of each other’s lives as they navigate love, work, fortune and fulfilment across the years. But with each new sacrifice and fresh horizon, larger questions begin to open up before them: what are we willing to give up to secure the happiness of the ones we love? What is the purpose of education? And what is truly important for a good life?
American Hagwon is the most ambitious and extraordinary work yet by one of our greatest novelists, Min Jin Lee.
656 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication September 29, 2026
About the author
Min Jin Lee
13 books9,608 followersMin Jin Lee’s novel Pachinko (Feb 2017) is a national bestseller, a New York Times Editor’s Choice and an American Booksellers Association’s Indie Next Great Reads. Lee’s debut novel Free Food for Millionaires (May 2007) was a No. 1 Book Sense Pick, a New York Times Editor’s Choice, a Wall Street Journal Juggle Book Club selection, and a national bestseller; it was a Top 10 Novels of the Year for The Times of London, NPR’s Fresh Air and USA Today.
Min Jin went to Yale College where she was awarded both the Henry Wright Prize for Nonfiction and the James Ashmun Veech Prize for Fiction. She attended law school at Georgetown University and worked as a lawyer for several years in New York prior to writing full time.
She has received the NYFA Fellowship for Fiction, the Peden Prize from The Missouri Review for Best Story, and the Narrative Prize for New and Emerging Writer. Her fiction has been featured on NPR’s Selected Shorts and has appeared most recently in One Story. Her writings about books, travel and food have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New York Times Book Review, The Times Literary Supplement, Conde Nast Traveler, The Times of London, Vogue (US), Travel + Leisure (SEA), Wall Street Journal and Food & Wine. Her personal essays have been anthologized in To Be Real, Breeder, The Mark Twain Anthology: Great Writers on His Life and Work, One Big Happy Family, Sugar in My Bowl, and The Global and the Intimate: Feminism in Our Time. She served three consecutive seasons as a Morning Forum columnist of the Chosun Ilbo of South Korea.
Lee has spoken about writing, politics, film and literature at various institutions including Columbia University, French Institute Alliance Francaise, The Center for Fiction, Tufts, Loyola Marymount University, Stanford, Johns Hopkins (SAIS), University of Connecticut, Boston College, Hamilton College, Hunter College of New York, Harvard Law School, Yale University, Ewha University, Waseda University, the American School in Japan, World Women’s Forum, Korean Community Center (NJ), the Hay Literary Festival (UK), the Tokyo American Center of the U.S. Embassy, the Asia House (UK), and the Asia Society in New York, San Francisco and Hong Kong. In 2017, she won the Literary Death Match (Brooklyn/Episode 8), and she is a proud alumna of Women of Letters (Public Theater).
From 2007 to 2011, Min Jin lived in Tokyo where she researched and wrote Pachinko. She lives in New York with her family.
Min Jin went to Yale College where she was awarded both the Henry Wright Prize for Nonfiction and the James Ashmun Veech Prize for Fiction. She attended law school at Georgetown University and worked as a lawyer for several years in New York prior to writing full time.
She has received the NYFA Fellowship for Fiction, the Peden Prize from The Missouri Review for Best Story, and the Narrative Prize for New and Emerging Writer. Her fiction has been featured on NPR’s Selected Shorts and has appeared most recently in One Story. Her writings about books, travel and food have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New York Times Book Review, The Times Literary Supplement, Conde Nast Traveler, The Times of London, Vogue (US), Travel + Leisure (SEA), Wall Street Journal and Food & Wine. Her personal essays have been anthologized in To Be Real, Breeder, The Mark Twain Anthology: Great Writers on His Life and Work, One Big Happy Family, Sugar in My Bowl, and The Global and the Intimate: Feminism in Our Time. She served three consecutive seasons as a Morning Forum columnist of the Chosun Ilbo of South Korea.
Lee has spoken about writing, politics, film and literature at various institutions including Columbia University, French Institute Alliance Francaise, The Center for Fiction, Tufts, Loyola Marymount University, Stanford, Johns Hopkins (SAIS), University of Connecticut, Boston College, Hamilton College, Hunter College of New York, Harvard Law School, Yale University, Ewha University, Waseda University, the American School in Japan, World Women’s Forum, Korean Community Center (NJ), the Hay Literary Festival (UK), the Tokyo American Center of the U.S. Embassy, the Asia House (UK), and the Asia Society in New York, San Francisco and Hong Kong. In 2017, she won the Literary Death Match (Brooklyn/Episode 8), and she is a proud alumna of Women of Letters (Public Theater).
From 2007 to 2011, Min Jin lived in Tokyo where she researched and wrote Pachinko. She lives in New York with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
April 27, 2026
I read Pachinko when it came out in 2017 and it remains one of the best family sagas I've ever read. Almost ten years later, American Hagwon now joins it. Min Jin Lee took her time with this one and readers will reap the benefits of unraveling every layer. Prior to reading this, I didn't know what a hagwon was. James Baldwin told and Lee reminds us that "as one begins to become conscious one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated". Lee examines this for profit/pro cramming private supplemental education system by looking at the ways it affects a child and a parent's psyche all while questioning what education is really "for".
American Hagwon is epic in scope, following the members of the Koh family from 1992-2007 across multiple international moves. Helen and John Koh, like all parents, want the best for their children. They want to see all three successful and happy. When the father is betrayed and soon after the South Korean IMF financial collapse occurs, the family is no longer comfortably in the middle class. What does this mean for the futures of the three children when money seems to be...everything.
American Hagwon has so much to say about ambition, satisfaction, and what drives these ideas. There is a whole lot of blind faith in the education system. If my kids go to the best school and then go to the best hagwon, surely they will come out on top, right? When there isn't room for everyone at the top, when siblings or friends are pitted against each other, what is the fallout? When education feels like a transaction more than anything, what happens if I don't get my expected return on investment? There is no one answer to these questions, but Lee offers us multiple to chew on through each character.
The Koh family will be some of the most memorable characters I read all year. Their devotion and sacrifice to one another is stunning. The official description of American Hagwon calls this loyalty something like a prayer, and I think that is perfect. While this doesn't publish until September, that gives you plenty of time to read Pachinko and Free Food for Millionaires in anticipation.
American Hagwon is epic in scope, following the members of the Koh family from 1992-2007 across multiple international moves. Helen and John Koh, like all parents, want the best for their children. They want to see all three successful and happy. When the father is betrayed and soon after the South Korean IMF financial collapse occurs, the family is no longer comfortably in the middle class. What does this mean for the futures of the three children when money seems to be...everything.
American Hagwon has so much to say about ambition, satisfaction, and what drives these ideas. There is a whole lot of blind faith in the education system. If my kids go to the best school and then go to the best hagwon, surely they will come out on top, right? When there isn't room for everyone at the top, when siblings or friends are pitted against each other, what is the fallout? When education feels like a transaction more than anything, what happens if I don't get my expected return on investment? There is no one answer to these questions, but Lee offers us multiple to chew on through each character.
The Koh family will be some of the most memorable characters I read all year. Their devotion and sacrifice to one another is stunning. The official description of American Hagwon calls this loyalty something like a prayer, and I think that is perfect. While this doesn't publish until September, that gives you plenty of time to read Pachinko and Free Food for Millionaires in anticipation.
Want to Read
August 31, 2026My review was reported because I complained about the price of this book… okay! I am still excited to read it, but I rest my case that this is a valid criticism! I love a good family saga, so excited for this release :)
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Excited for this, but $47 CAD ($36 USD) is honestly a criminal price tag...Thank god the library exists
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Excited for this, but $47 CAD ($36 USD) is honestly a criminal price tag...Thank god the library exists
Want to Read
January 14, 2026HUGE news for me personally!!!
September 3, 2026
I had to look up what a Hagwon was as I had no idea. It's a Korean term for a for-profit private educational institution and it therefore forms the basis of this epic family saga.
The Koh family (John and Helen, and their three children) are building their lives in Korea, however after a betrayal by someone they thought they could trust and then the financial crisis of 1997, they move to Sydney and then eventually to California to start their lives over again. John and Helen struggle to find work but are determined to do everything they can to support their children and end up working in manual jobs with long hours, which is particularly difficult for John due to the high status corporate world he was used to in Korea.
In time, the Koh children recognise the importance of education in allowing future generations to escape the difficulties their parents have endured. But with success comes a question they must ask themselves - do they put wealth above their principles?
At a whopping 700-ish pages, American Hagwon needs to keep your interest and indeed, for me, it really did - I don't believe there's a word wasted in this book. The characters are well rounded and each of them plays an important part in this intricately woven story. It is clear the meaning that family has to Min Jin Lee, particularly when it comes to parents who wish a better life for their children.
A truly enjoyable read, despite its size (don't be put off!).
The Koh family (John and Helen, and their three children) are building their lives in Korea, however after a betrayal by someone they thought they could trust and then the financial crisis of 1997, they move to Sydney and then eventually to California to start their lives over again. John and Helen struggle to find work but are determined to do everything they can to support their children and end up working in manual jobs with long hours, which is particularly difficult for John due to the high status corporate world he was used to in Korea.
In time, the Koh children recognise the importance of education in allowing future generations to escape the difficulties their parents have endured. But with success comes a question they must ask themselves - do they put wealth above their principles?
At a whopping 700-ish pages, American Hagwon needs to keep your interest and indeed, for me, it really did - I don't believe there's a word wasted in this book. The characters are well rounded and each of them plays an important part in this intricately woven story. It is clear the meaning that family has to Min Jin Lee, particularly when it comes to parents who wish a better life for their children.
A truly enjoyable read, despite its size (don't be put off!).
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
dare I say, better than pachinko
June 23, 2026
Yikes this was not for me. I was really excited to get this ARC because I am also currently reading Pachinko and am really liking it. This however, did not do it for me.
From the jump, I found that there were wayyy too many characters. It is similar to Pachinko in there are large families and lots of connections between them being made, but it was a lot harder for me me to make those connections and remember the relationships because we were switching storylines and perspectives so quickly. There were several tragedies that happen along the way that I wish made a big impact on me and I feel like should have, but because of the jumpy narrative, I couldn't find myself connecting enough to care or illicit any real emotions.
This book is objectively beautifully written without a doubt. I would read a stunning and consider rating this a lot higher. I also feel like there were potentially some really fantastic themes, but I'm not sure they were explored enough for me to really understand the points that were trying to be made. Maybe this was just too over my head, which is very possible, and this was absolutely a story about characters dealing with things I've never even begun to experience, but it just wasn't landing like I wish it was.
I also feel like there was no real arc here. The story just kinda immediately kicked off which was great, but there was no structure to follow it, no rising action, and no real conclusion. The book just kinda ended...and I was honestly shocked that there were no pages left. The ending was truly just so anti-climatic. That being said, this was insanely long for what it was, and I did not find myself wanting to pick this up.
Overall, I didn't understand the message or themes, I didn't love the characters, and the storytelling narrative did not work for me.
I'm so disappointed I didn't like this. Min Jin fans please don't come for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
From the jump, I found that there were wayyy too many characters. It is similar to Pachinko in there are large families and lots of connections between them being made, but it was a lot harder for me me to make those connections and remember the relationships because we were switching storylines and perspectives so quickly. There were several tragedies that happen along the way that I wish made a big impact on me and I feel like should have, but because of the jumpy narrative, I couldn't find myself connecting enough to care or illicit any real emotions.
This book is objectively beautifully written without a doubt. I would read a stunning and consider rating this a lot higher. I also feel like there were potentially some really fantastic themes, but I'm not sure they were explored enough for me to really understand the points that were trying to be made. Maybe this was just too over my head, which is very possible, and this was absolutely a story about characters dealing with things I've never even begun to experience, but it just wasn't landing like I wish it was.
I also feel like there was no real arc here. The story just kinda immediately kicked off which was great, but there was no structure to follow it, no rising action, and no real conclusion. The book just kinda ended...and I was honestly shocked that there were no pages left. The ending was truly just so anti-climatic. That being said, this was insanely long for what it was, and I did not find myself wanting to pick this up.
Overall, I didn't understand the message or themes, I didn't love the characters, and the storytelling narrative did not work for me.
I'm so disappointed I didn't like this. Min Jin fans please don't come for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 4, 2026
I need some time to come back from this. But damn, she’s done it again.
June 7, 2026
Min Jin Lee does it again with another generational saga. This pulled at my heartstrings and kept me engrossed the entire time.
What is the cost of ambition? What are the consequences of indolence? Do you live by your morals or think of them as a wish list? Are we defined by our humanity or achievements (and do we apply that answer to others or just ourselves)?
On the surface, “American Hagwon” is a story about the price (literally and metaphorically) of education in Korea, where society places prestige on merit and accomplishment. Not just any education, either. The right education. The right schools, hagwons, and connections.
For Asian immigrants in America, there is a doubling down. Their home culture prioritizes academics above all else, while American society often expects them to be smarter and more successful than their American peers. The stakes become impossibly high. Students look to American colleges for opportunity, yet still face racism and the social alienation that can come with being an immigrant. And so the cycle continues: strive more, work harder, achieve the unachievable.
It’s also a story of parental love and all of the worry that carries. It’s a spotlight on the many decisions in life that force a divide between what we want to do from what society demands.
Higher education becomes a concentrator of that pressure to perform.
I felt anguished when I finished the book. Despite its length, I wanted more. I did not want to leave the family or “American Hagwon” behind.
Thank you, NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing, for the ARC of this book.
“American Hagwon” will be published 9/29/2026
What is the cost of ambition? What are the consequences of indolence? Do you live by your morals or think of them as a wish list? Are we defined by our humanity or achievements (and do we apply that answer to others or just ourselves)?
On the surface, “American Hagwon” is a story about the price (literally and metaphorically) of education in Korea, where society places prestige on merit and accomplishment. Not just any education, either. The right education. The right schools, hagwons, and connections.
For Asian immigrants in America, there is a doubling down. Their home culture prioritizes academics above all else, while American society often expects them to be smarter and more successful than their American peers. The stakes become impossibly high. Students look to American colleges for opportunity, yet still face racism and the social alienation that can come with being an immigrant. And so the cycle continues: strive more, work harder, achieve the unachievable.
It’s also a story of parental love and all of the worry that carries. It’s a spotlight on the many decisions in life that force a divide between what we want to do from what society demands.
Higher education becomes a concentrator of that pressure to perform.
I felt anguished when I finished the book. Despite its length, I wanted more. I did not want to leave the family or “American Hagwon” behind.
Thank you, NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing, for the ARC of this book.
“American Hagwon” will be published 9/29/2026
Read
July 10, 20264.5/5 stars
So beautifully crafted, a masterclass in creating characters that feel so vivid and captivating that even the smallest interaction and the most seemingly mundane, everyday moments kept me from ever wanting to put the book down. American Hagwon is a story rooted firmly in reality, but at the same time, so transportive, I felt completely swept away every time I picked it up. Like with my experience in reading Pachinko, this book opened my eyes to Korean experiences in a way that I really appreciated.
By the time I got to the last few pages, I found myself not wanting to leave this wonderful story and characters behind and I would have loved at least another chapter or epilogue to add just a little something more to the conclusion of the over 700+ page family saga.
So beautifully crafted, a masterclass in creating characters that feel so vivid and captivating that even the smallest interaction and the most seemingly mundane, everyday moments kept me from ever wanting to put the book down. American Hagwon is a story rooted firmly in reality, but at the same time, so transportive, I felt completely swept away every time I picked it up. Like with my experience in reading Pachinko, this book opened my eyes to Korean experiences in a way that I really appreciated.
By the time I got to the last few pages, I found myself not wanting to leave this wonderful story and characters behind and I would have loved at least another chapter or epilogue to add just a little something more to the conclusion of the over 700+ page family saga.
Want to Read
March 4, 2026i met Min in ATL yesterday and literally am counting down the days until this comes out. What a remarkable, extraordinary human she is.
August 20, 2026
Have you read Pachinko? If you have, you know she is incredible at writing sweeping family sagas.
Just like Pachinko, there are many characters, but Min Jin Lee works her magic once again. I became invested in all their lives. It felt as though I was living alongside them, seeing everything from inside their minds. The ability to achieve this with so many characters is clearly one of the author’s greatest strengths!
This novel is a breathtaking story about a survival of a family, their unwavering bond and love that endure through the most challenging times. I became deeply invested in the Koh family and in the people around them who support them. (Sonya, the aunt, is definitely my favourite.)
This novel explores Korea’s hyper-competitive education system and the status mania surrounding academic achievement. It also examines Korean identity through the perspectives of people from very different backgrounds. Those who grew up in Korea, those who grew up and made lives overseas, and those who eventually return. What does being Korean mean? The author raises an interesting question.
I really love the way the novel challenges us to think. What does learning/education really mean? What does success mean? And what do we live for?
The only reason I didn’t give it a solid five stars is the pace. The first 500 pages of American Hagwon are undeniably brilliant. So immersive and visceral that I was completely swept away. The final 200 pages however feel a little flatter and more redundant, but I still found them engrossing and remained invested in the characters. (It’s a tiny flow.)
Do I recommend this book? Absolutely yes! American Hagwon is an ambitious, deeply immersive read that resonates with me so much and I’ll keep thinking about. And I hope you find it the same.
4.5-5 🌟/5
Just like Pachinko, there are many characters, but Min Jin Lee works her magic once again. I became invested in all their lives. It felt as though I was living alongside them, seeing everything from inside their minds. The ability to achieve this with so many characters is clearly one of the author’s greatest strengths!
This novel is a breathtaking story about a survival of a family, their unwavering bond and love that endure through the most challenging times. I became deeply invested in the Koh family and in the people around them who support them. (Sonya, the aunt, is definitely my favourite.)
This novel explores Korea’s hyper-competitive education system and the status mania surrounding academic achievement. It also examines Korean identity through the perspectives of people from very different backgrounds. Those who grew up in Korea, those who grew up and made lives overseas, and those who eventually return. What does being Korean mean? The author raises an interesting question.
I really love the way the novel challenges us to think. What does learning/education really mean? What does success mean? And what do we live for?
The only reason I didn’t give it a solid five stars is the pace. The first 500 pages of American Hagwon are undeniably brilliant. So immersive and visceral that I was completely swept away. The final 200 pages however feel a little flatter and more redundant, but I still found them engrossing and remained invested in the characters. (It’s a tiny flow.)
Do I recommend this book? Absolutely yes! American Hagwon is an ambitious, deeply immersive read that resonates with me so much and I’ll keep thinking about. And I hope you find it the same.
4.5-5 🌟/5
Read
September 6, 2026⸝⸝⸝ 𝖕𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉 ── ★ ‧₊˚ ┊ ✧˖°.
since Pachinko was one of the best books I've ever read, and I also enjoyed The Best Girls even though it was so short, I'm veryyyyy excited to see what this one will bring!
since Pachinko was one of the best books I've ever read, and I also enjoyed The Best Girls even though it was so short, I'm veryyyyy excited to see what this one will bring!
April 7, 2026
Review of advance copy-
Beautifully written. 700+ pages was not long enough…I still want more!
Beautifully written. 700+ pages was not long enough…I still want more!
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5/5. One of the things that I love about Min Jin Lee’s writing is how she makes you feel like you are watching the character’s lives unfold rather than just reading about them. By the end, I catch myself thinking about the characters and recalling their memories from earlier as if they are my own. American Hagwon was no exception to this.
I came away from this novel with a deeper understanding of Korean perspectives and expectations around education, told largely through the Koh family's story, which spans decades. For me, at the centre of their story is an exploration of ambition, pressure, sacrifice, familial loyalty, and the tension between the lengths we go to fulfill expectations placed upon us and the limits of our agency in life.
At times, I didn’t connect with some of the subject matter as deeply as I did in Free Food for Millionaires or Pachinko. I struggled particularly with Danbi’s characterization and her use of sexual power to manipulate, which often made it difficult to experience her as a fully believable character. Even so, I came away with a deeper appreciation for MJL's storytelling - as with her other novels, her ability to tell a sweeping story while making individual lives feel so real is special.
I came away from this novel with a deeper understanding of Korean perspectives and expectations around education, told largely through the Koh family's story, which spans decades. For me, at the centre of their story is an exploration of ambition, pressure, sacrifice, familial loyalty, and the tension between the lengths we go to fulfill expectations placed upon us and the limits of our agency in life.
At times, I didn’t connect with some of the subject matter as deeply as I did in Free Food for Millionaires or Pachinko. I struggled particularly with Danbi’s characterization and her use of sexual power to manipulate, which often made it difficult to experience her as a fully believable character. Even so, I came away with a deeper appreciation for MJL's storytelling - as with her other novels, her ability to tell a sweeping story while making individual lives feel so real is special.
Currently Reading
July 22, 2026This is a long book, but am fully involved in it. I have read 250 pages today. About family and thinking that education will guarantee success in life. Is that true? What defines success? Love the characters and story so far.
August 13, 2026
Oh my god? Oh my god. Masterful. The type of 5-star book that made me go back through my previous reviews and adjust my ratings bc they simply don’t compare to this
Want to Read
February 6, 2026i've never been this excited for a book in my life.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Another MUST READ epic family saga. I found myself underlining many lines from the book about education that challenged me as a teacher and filled me with hope.
August 18, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I stayed up late reading several nights in a row because I was so drawn in to this Korean family dynamic. I have read several of this author’s books and have enjoyed each one. This book was typical of Lee in that it was a generational saga. I was invested in the characters of American Hagwon and wanted to know what was going to happen next.
Helen and John Koh are an upper middle class Korean couple who lived in the US and Australia before returning to Seoul due to John’s job. The Koh’s have three children, Bo, DH and Mido. Bo is the brightest and oldest, DH has charisma and is an athlete while Mido is the quietest and youngest. When they move back to Seoul, Mido is a middle schooler, which is already difficult, but luckily she befriends Yun. With the help of Yun’s mother, Mido is granted access to Yun’s coveted hagwon. Hagwon was a new term to me, it is essentially a very rigorous and costly study program in addition to required schooling to enhance education and increase a child’s chances to get into competitive colleges. I was taken by the intensity of academics in Korea, at times I wondered when these kids could be kids, but then learned what success means in Korea, it is simply incomparable to US standards. For example, Bo studied intensely for three years post high school to take a test offered only once a year to try to gain access to prestigious Korean colleges. DH stumbles into an incredible academic opportunity in the US. Stable, studious Mido is still living at home when her father loses his job when a close friend unwittingly and spinelessly double crosses him. As a result, the Koh’s must move to the US and start again. Mr. Koh comes to work at the Shrimp Shack - owned by Yun’s mother, Nari, who’s family suffered a similar change of circumstances. John never feels sorry for himself but works very hard at the shrimp Shack, well below his station, to ensure his family has their needs met - in particular the academic needs. Helen Koh carries her share as well as she uses her sense of style and charisma to work in retail to help support the new situation.
The book is told by many points of view and a cast of characters is developed. I never felt as though I was losing track of the story, merely getting a look from another character to thicken the plot. What struck me most is the depth of the decency the people here possessed, it is clearly a cultural dynamic and I admit I was even a little envious, despite hardship, of the tenacity of the characters. Further, the value that family is help above all else, is demonstrated here. The Koh family in particular was selfless and incredible. So many personalities, pieces of the puzzle, enrich the story.
Hagwon becomes central to the story as Yun and Mido with others, build out a Hagwon model for Koreans in America in California, where the families settle. They demonstrate that education doesn’t have to be the complete identity of a child, and work hard to develop that idea in a way it might be accepted by their community. They have help along with the way from other interesting characters. There is love, there is loss, there is so much here, I can’t properly described this book except to say it is worth every one of its 650 pages.
Helen and John Koh are an upper middle class Korean couple who lived in the US and Australia before returning to Seoul due to John’s job. The Koh’s have three children, Bo, DH and Mido. Bo is the brightest and oldest, DH has charisma and is an athlete while Mido is the quietest and youngest. When they move back to Seoul, Mido is a middle schooler, which is already difficult, but luckily she befriends Yun. With the help of Yun’s mother, Mido is granted access to Yun’s coveted hagwon. Hagwon was a new term to me, it is essentially a very rigorous and costly study program in addition to required schooling to enhance education and increase a child’s chances to get into competitive colleges. I was taken by the intensity of academics in Korea, at times I wondered when these kids could be kids, but then learned what success means in Korea, it is simply incomparable to US standards. For example, Bo studied intensely for three years post high school to take a test offered only once a year to try to gain access to prestigious Korean colleges. DH stumbles into an incredible academic opportunity in the US. Stable, studious Mido is still living at home when her father loses his job when a close friend unwittingly and spinelessly double crosses him. As a result, the Koh’s must move to the US and start again. Mr. Koh comes to work at the Shrimp Shack - owned by Yun’s mother, Nari, who’s family suffered a similar change of circumstances. John never feels sorry for himself but works very hard at the shrimp Shack, well below his station, to ensure his family has their needs met - in particular the academic needs. Helen Koh carries her share as well as she uses her sense of style and charisma to work in retail to help support the new situation.
The book is told by many points of view and a cast of characters is developed. I never felt as though I was losing track of the story, merely getting a look from another character to thicken the plot. What struck me most is the depth of the decency the people here possessed, it is clearly a cultural dynamic and I admit I was even a little envious, despite hardship, of the tenacity of the characters. Further, the value that family is help above all else, is demonstrated here. The Koh family in particular was selfless and incredible. So many personalities, pieces of the puzzle, enrich the story.
Hagwon becomes central to the story as Yun and Mido with others, build out a Hagwon model for Koreans in America in California, where the families settle. They demonstrate that education doesn’t have to be the complete identity of a child, and work hard to develop that idea in a way it might be accepted by their community. They have help along with the way from other interesting characters. There is love, there is loss, there is so much here, I can’t properly described this book except to say it is worth every one of its 650 pages.
June 18, 2026
American Hagwon as a novel fits neatly in with Min Jin Lee’s usual family saga narratives, this one’s major concerns being overwhelmingly financial, cultural, educational, and all subject to and highly considerate of social stratum. The Koh family is the nucleus of this story, comprised of Helen and John, and their three children, Mido, Bo, and DH. The Koh family has moved around repeatedly and extensively, from Sydney to Korea to the USA, and nearly back around. Their blips of success as a family, through the children, have been buoyed in many ways by hagwons, private institutions for tutoring and mentorship in educational environments, which form a kind of landmark for Mido especially.
The novel tackles deeply institutionalized Korean cultural norms, in terms of education, success, family, and interpersonal relationships, and works to face these often nearly impossible standards and grand assumptions head on in order to break them down and reassess them in more realistic terms. I found the concepts of finances and educational institutions to be quite heavily emphasized throughout, which considering the length of the novel did come to feel a bit repetitive and tedious, though it could be said to definitely be a realistic interpretation of how omnipresent financial troubles are in daily life, and as well representative of the high educational standards common in Korea and Korean culture. Considering the title of the novel, this emphasis on these specific topics is to be expected, and I definitely found it to be an uniquely interesting and very extensive look into the world of hagwons and their impact on university acceptance, the drama between incredibly rich families, the pressure of being a child of immigrant parents, the realities of living during a financial crisis, amongst many others. Lee very much excels in the construction of the family saga, and while this doesn’t usurp or really hit as hard as Pachinko did for me personally, it definitely makes its own imprint in the genre with its not in any way niche (considering the inherent breadth of this very real experience) but definitely underexplored perspectives.
The novel tackles deeply institutionalized Korean cultural norms, in terms of education, success, family, and interpersonal relationships, and works to face these often nearly impossible standards and grand assumptions head on in order to break them down and reassess them in more realistic terms. I found the concepts of finances and educational institutions to be quite heavily emphasized throughout, which considering the length of the novel did come to feel a bit repetitive and tedious, though it could be said to definitely be a realistic interpretation of how omnipresent financial troubles are in daily life, and as well representative of the high educational standards common in Korea and Korean culture. Considering the title of the novel, this emphasis on these specific topics is to be expected, and I definitely found it to be an uniquely interesting and very extensive look into the world of hagwons and their impact on university acceptance, the drama between incredibly rich families, the pressure of being a child of immigrant parents, the realities of living during a financial crisis, amongst many others. Lee very much excels in the construction of the family saga, and while this doesn’t usurp or really hit as hard as Pachinko did for me personally, it definitely makes its own imprint in the genre with its not in any way niche (considering the inherent breadth of this very real experience) but definitely underexplored perspectives.
May 19, 2026
Wow. Heartbreaking that I’ll probably have to wait another decade for a new Min Jin Lee novel. Simple in scope yet sprawling. Epic yet intimate. I fell in love with these characters, and I learned so much about the Korean financial crisis, as well as the cultural pressure many Koreans face in educational circles. I’ve been really busy over the past few weeks, so I’ve read this a lot slower than I normally would have. Typically when this happens, I find myself growing impatient and desiring to move on to a different story. However, I was more than content to linger in this story and get to know these characters.
July 22, 2026
650 pages and I would have read 650 more. Absolute ugly cry at one point. An epic story with multiple viewpoints and I looked forward to each one. Complicated storylines and ultimately a story that is about being there for your people. I’m going to miss this family.
May 4, 2026
My first Min Jin Lee novel!
September 10, 2026
Never has a book made me so aware of wealth and education’s prevalence in our lives. Thank you to Hatchette for the eARC! Rtc ✏️
April 17, 2026
I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of this book and it’s exceptional! There is an incredible cast of unique characters that span three generations and two cultures to create a deeply moving story about the importance of family, class and education. My favorite part about this book is that there is almost no clear protagonist. While you could argue it’s Mido, there is so much detail and back story to all of the characters that I became engrossed in all of their outcomes. The Korean diaspora explored in this novel was phenomenal and I enjoyed how it was covered in multiple parts of the US, Australia and even England. I learned a lot about Hagwon culture and the pressure of elite education, which while not unique to Koreans, is layered due to the Hagwon setup. It’s a long book, but worth every page. This is one of my favorite books of the year so far!
Want to Read
February 28, 2026the author of my favorite book is writing another decades-spanning historical fiction and was given 5 stars by my favorite author............ im so excited for this u have no idea
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
"You won a genetic lottery and live in a country where you were given every chance to succeed. I just don't think you should sit in judgment over the people here who don't have the same opportunities that you did. How dare you make generalizations about people you barely know?”
Going into this, I had expected it would discuss Korean's education system that seemed so extreme that the parents felt the need to involve themselves in its process. In a way, it is. And having always loved k-drama surrounding such topic (though with a hint of mystery and crime like Sky Castle and Teach You A Lesson), I was highly intrigued, Having finished it, I felt like I committed myself to a 16 episodes of k-drama. Long, but quite satisfying.
We follow the Koh family as they, again, moved across the continent because the job of the head of the family, their father John, required him to do so. The kids—Bo, DH, and Mido—could speak the language but had little to no idea how the education works here and were surprised to find they were struggling to adapt. Although there were considered an upper middle class family, money was often tight, especially having to educate three children. In Korea, it is common to enroll the students into hagwon as early as childhood. Seeing the quiet Mido, the mom, Helen, tried to get not only her but all three of her children accepted into this popular hagwon named Eagle Academy that she knew from Yun's mother, Nari.
So, what exactly is a hagwon? (학) study (원) institute is a private after-school academy or widely known as cram school that are popular among students in South Korea. Not only teaching the school subjects, a hagwon goes beyond the academics and explores the art fields. It also offers exam preparation for those striving to get into the top universities (SKY). It seems that many parents are obsessed of making their kids the best, turning them into study machines, hence its fame.
John is hardworking, especially favored by Shin for no one could bribe a non-corrupt mind like this subordinate of his. John was happy to follow Shin everywhere, that was until Shin met this attractive young woman named Danbi. John, always faithful to Helen, couldn't understand why Shin bothered when his boss had such a wonderful wife like Mary, not to mention they had sons.
It all went downhill when John was abruptly fired. Suddenly losing his steady job, the family could no longer afford staying in Korea and thought of moving yet again. Mido was sent to Sydney to stay with the family of Helen's younger brother, DH thankfully got a full scholarship in Andover where he could study with Peter, meanwhile Bo wanted to stay and enter Yonsei university in Korea. After making some arrangements here and there, Helen and John followed their daughter to Sydney, despite Helen's uneasiness knowing her children were scattered all over the places.
But another life tragedy struck again, this time the IMF crisis. Like a huge harsh wave that knocked the Koh family all over again, though they had just recently found their footing, the family members were forced to make more adjustments. It all felt so real, their sufferings tore at my heart. Even so, everyone seemed to support one another and I learnt that having siblings meant they were never alone in their struggles. How I wish I have someone to lean on, too.
The most admirable character is John, perhaps Helen followed closely behind, then Mido. I feel like every member of Koh family had their own share of sacrifices. Being raised by two loving parents who obviously love each other provided stability that nourished them. I could talk for hours about this, but let's move on to the character that angered me greatly: Danbi.
Women in power are amazing. Ambition is a positive trait if it isn't tainted with greed, instead it becomes disaster. Good example would be Sonya, meanwhile the bad one could be no one but Danbi. What a cunning woman. Like Shin later realized and said, Danbi doesn't regard other women highly. She only befriends them when it's convenient for her. On the other hand, if they have zero impact in society, she doesn't hesitate to hurt them. She purposely mean others harm. Her every action is maddening, I was enraged each time her name came up. Nothing could justify her wrongdoings.
Overall, it's such a remarkable book that tackles about the impact of education, economy, and family. The ending was a bit surprising, but it was a decent one. This morning, as I was seated writing this review, I learnt that Minjin Lee meant this book to be the third of quartet Korean diaspora, which is interesting. I will make sure to pick up the first two as soon as possible before the last installment gets released.
Thank you Netgalley and 4th Estate and William Collins for the ARC in exchange of honest review!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A novel spanning Seoul, Sydney, and Southern California that somehow felt like coming home, even though I’ve never lived in any of those places. American Hagwon by Min Jin Lee is a masterclass in the nuances of the Korean immigrant experience exploring themes of motherhood, family devotion, sacrifice, and the power of education. As a Korean American who was born and raised in the United States, this book felt comforting. The infusion of Korean culture and tradition is thoughtfully crafted and felt effortless to read.
The author showcases the difference between Western and Korean societies in the hunger for education. In the West, personal ambition is often the root motivator of becoming educated. But Korea’s hyper-obsession with education is more layered than that. Amid the instability of Japanese colonization and later, rapid industrialization after the Korean war, gaining knowledge was one of few things many Koreans were able to turn to for purpose and cultural retention. At the start of the book, I was frustrated by these parents spending money they could not afford on extra schooling due to the idea that a mother's worth is measured in her child’s test scores or what university they end up at. But following the family move countries and rebuild their lives in an unfamiliar place moved me because it made me feel for my parents and think about their struggles and strength, navigating the same thing at a young age. The characters worked so hard and made sacrifices for each other out of survival and love. Spreading the importance of learning is an act of love and they continued to pay it forward.
Min Jin Lee touched on a complicated, relatable feeling among Koreans who move away from home and come back to an unfamiliar place. There is a sense of tension between Koreans who are “stuck” in Korea with its strict culture and those who leave to explore new opportunities, but then don't feel at home anywhere. I grew up not feeling 100% at home anywhere because I felt disconnected from my Korean roots, but Lee’s perspective allowed me to see it from the other point of view. I am grateful for my family’s choice to start a new life away from home, and my Korean roots live on through the sharing of stories and customs within my family.
I loved how Lee used Korean words without translation, trusting the reader to understand them through context clues. It felt like having a piece of my family with me while I read. There were certain English phrases I read with my eyes but heard in Korean. A parent asks their child “did you eat” and it instantly takes me back to all the times my parents ask “밥 먹었어?”, the ultimate expression of love from Korean parents. A simple detail of regular visits to the Korean drama video rental store took me back to middle school when I followed my mom to our local store in San Jose, California every week.
I never felt like the story dragged and was curious how all the characters’ stories ended. The novel’s ending is sweet and quiet, with a moment that embodied the family’s love for each other throughout the entire story. It was incredibly fitting for this book that never felt loud or dramatic and I teared up on the last page, wishing I got even more time with the Koh family. Thank you, Min Jin Lee, for one of the most meaningful reading experiences I’ve had in years. I’m excited for readers to discover this book when it releases this fall. It will resonate with those who love character-driven novels, intricate family sagas, and stories that explore the complexities of the immigrant experience. In the meantime, I’ll check out Lee’s backlist and eagerly await what she writes next.
The author showcases the difference between Western and Korean societies in the hunger for education. In the West, personal ambition is often the root motivator of becoming educated. But Korea’s hyper-obsession with education is more layered than that. Amid the instability of Japanese colonization and later, rapid industrialization after the Korean war, gaining knowledge was one of few things many Koreans were able to turn to for purpose and cultural retention. At the start of the book, I was frustrated by these parents spending money they could not afford on extra schooling due to the idea that a mother's worth is measured in her child’s test scores or what university they end up at. But following the family move countries and rebuild their lives in an unfamiliar place moved me because it made me feel for my parents and think about their struggles and strength, navigating the same thing at a young age. The characters worked so hard and made sacrifices for each other out of survival and love. Spreading the importance of learning is an act of love and they continued to pay it forward.
Min Jin Lee touched on a complicated, relatable feeling among Koreans who move away from home and come back to an unfamiliar place. There is a sense of tension between Koreans who are “stuck” in Korea with its strict culture and those who leave to explore new opportunities, but then don't feel at home anywhere. I grew up not feeling 100% at home anywhere because I felt disconnected from my Korean roots, but Lee’s perspective allowed me to see it from the other point of view. I am grateful for my family’s choice to start a new life away from home, and my Korean roots live on through the sharing of stories and customs within my family.
I loved how Lee used Korean words without translation, trusting the reader to understand them through context clues. It felt like having a piece of my family with me while I read. There were certain English phrases I read with my eyes but heard in Korean. A parent asks their child “did you eat” and it instantly takes me back to all the times my parents ask “밥 먹었어?”, the ultimate expression of love from Korean parents. A simple detail of regular visits to the Korean drama video rental store took me back to middle school when I followed my mom to our local store in San Jose, California every week.
I never felt like the story dragged and was curious how all the characters’ stories ended. The novel’s ending is sweet and quiet, with a moment that embodied the family’s love for each other throughout the entire story. It was incredibly fitting for this book that never felt loud or dramatic and I teared up on the last page, wishing I got even more time with the Koh family. Thank you, Min Jin Lee, for one of the most meaningful reading experiences I’ve had in years. I’m excited for readers to discover this book when it releases this fall. It will resonate with those who love character-driven novels, intricate family sagas, and stories that explore the complexities of the immigrant experience. In the meantime, I’ll check out Lee’s backlist and eagerly await what she writes next.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
“Nothing exerts a stronger psychic effect upon the human environment, and especially upon children, than the life which the parents have not lived.” - Carl Jung
American Hagwon is a true epic— a sizeable novel, spanning decades, with incredible scope and a large cast of characters. As with all books that introduce this many characters and cover this much ground, there were parts and perspectives I enjoyed more than others. But I was never once bored in all its 650 pages.
At the heart of American Hagwon is the theme of how best to raise and educate our next generation. Moving from South Korea to America, with a stopover in Australia, it looks at many different approaches to education, reflected in different countries, different cultures, different generations, different parenting styles.
A hagwon— unbeknownst to me before reading this —is a kind of private tutoring cram school, ubiquitous in South Korea and common in Korean-American enclaves like Orange County. This is an extension of the intense educational pressure Korean children find themselves under, and Lee casts a scrutinising eye on educational systems that reward stress, anxiety, passing exams, and scoring a place at a top university.
As a character says at one point:
"If you make your child into the perfect object that these schools want to purchase, then you might make the sale. However, will you get what you want?
[..]
"There is a crisis in this country and in the country where many of you were born. The crisis is in our education and what it is meant to do. Having a degree from the Big Three or any of the SKY universities will not protect our children from harm. You know of many stories of people who graduated from these schools who did not have a safe and perfect life. I am asking you to consider at least the anecdotal evidence each of you has to disprove the theory that an elite education will create a successful life."
The story of Helen and John Koh and their three children explores this. Many other family members, colleagues and fellow students become part of their story as the Kohs try to do the best for each other.
Despite not being Korean, or even knowing what a hagwon was prior to reading this, I found the book's message poignant and increasingly relatable. Even in the UK, we are putting ever more pressure on kids to pass exams and compete for Russell Group universities. One thing that has always bothered me is that an absolutely brilliant student can have one bad day, flunk an exam, and have their entire future prospects limited because of a single poor performance. And lots of kids spend their youth working their asses off to get into these prestigious institutions, unable to see beyond that, and then find out they have no idea what to do with their lives once they reach the "top".
But while the message is important, what drives the narrative and keeps the pages turning are the lovable characters. The Kohs are genuinely likeable, as are several other supporting characters. If I were to critique anything, I’d say the Kohs were almost a little too perfect. They were very decent, moral people, always generous and self-sacrificing toward one another. I wouldn’t say the characters are lacking in complexity, necessarily, but they are lacking in flaws. Hardship comes from external forces, almost never from their own mistakes. I would have liked to see one of the family err in some way after this much time. Though despicable, the antagonist is arguably the more interesting character.
Overall, another fantastic book by Min Jin Lee. There are messages, but no easy or neat ones. The author knows this is a complex issue. My main takeaway was that even though parents and teachers may care about exam results and university acceptance, they should care more about the kids themselves. This fact seems almost like a truism until you look at how seldom it is applied.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 ⭐️ | Reading American Hagwon instantly reminded me why Min Jin Lee has become one of my favorite literary fiction authors. She has an incredible ability to take ordinary lives and reveal just how extraordinary they are but it's never through the big, flashy moments. It's through the quiet ones, all the sacrifices, and the relationships that shape her book's characters over decades.
Rather than telling the story of a single person, this novel paints a much larger portrait of a family and the community surrounding them. Following the Koh family across multiple countries and years, Lee explores what immigration, financial instability, and the pursuit of opportunity actually look like beyond the idealized version of the "American dream." Every move they make is fueled by the hope that education and hard work will create a better future for the next generation, and the novel asks whether that promise is ever as straightforward as people want it to be.
One of my favorite aspects was how nuanced the characters felt. There are no perfect heroes or irredeemable villains here. These characters are just people making difficult decisions with the information and resources they have. I especially appreciated how much attention was given to the parents' perspective. Their sacrifices often happen quietly, in ways their children don't fully recognize until much later, and those moments carried some of the novel's strongest emotional weight.
The book also offers an insightful look at the culture surrounding hagwons and the enormous expectations placed on academic success. If you, like me, didn't know what a hagwon was prior to reading this book, I'll include a definition here: a hagwon is a private, for-profit cram school or educational institute in that provides after-school tutoring and lessons in subjects like English, math, and test preparation. Over 78% of Korean school-age children attend them. Lee doesn't simply criticize or celebrate that system; instead, she examines why families invest so much of themselves into education and what those investments ultimately cost. It raises thoughtful questions about ambition, identity, class, and whether success can ever truly be measured by grades, careers, or prestige alone.
That said, this is definitely a novel that asks for patience. The cast is expansive, it's almost 700 pages, perspectives shift frequently, and there are stretches where the pacing feels deliberately slow. I occasionally found myself wishing for a tighter narrative focus, especially when side stories briefly pulled attention away from the central family. While those moments added richness to the larger picture, they sometimes interrupted my emotional connection to the main storyline. Still, even at its slowest, Lee's writing is elegant and deeply compassionate. She has a remarkable gift for making everyday conversations and seemingly small decisions feel significant because of the emotional history behind them. By the end, I felt like I hadn't simply read about these characters, I had lived their lives right alongside them.
Overall, American Hagwon is a thoughtful, expansive family saga that explores immigration, education, identity, and the resilience required to build a life from the ground up. It may not have reached the emotional heights of my favorite Min Jin Lee novel, but it's still an incredibly rewarding read that offers plenty to reflect on. If you enjoy character-driven literary fiction, expansive family dramas/sagas, and books that value emotional complexity over a fast-moving plot, this is well worth the read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette/Grand Central Publishing/Cardinal for this eARC! I was so excited when they sent me a widget for this, and I'm so grateful I was able to read it ahead of its publication date.
Rather than telling the story of a single person, this novel paints a much larger portrait of a family and the community surrounding them. Following the Koh family across multiple countries and years, Lee explores what immigration, financial instability, and the pursuit of opportunity actually look like beyond the idealized version of the "American dream." Every move they make is fueled by the hope that education and hard work will create a better future for the next generation, and the novel asks whether that promise is ever as straightforward as people want it to be.
One of my favorite aspects was how nuanced the characters felt. There are no perfect heroes or irredeemable villains here. These characters are just people making difficult decisions with the information and resources they have. I especially appreciated how much attention was given to the parents' perspective. Their sacrifices often happen quietly, in ways their children don't fully recognize until much later, and those moments carried some of the novel's strongest emotional weight.
The book also offers an insightful look at the culture surrounding hagwons and the enormous expectations placed on academic success. If you, like me, didn't know what a hagwon was prior to reading this book, I'll include a definition here: a hagwon is a private, for-profit cram school or educational institute in that provides after-school tutoring and lessons in subjects like English, math, and test preparation. Over 78% of Korean school-age children attend them. Lee doesn't simply criticize or celebrate that system; instead, she examines why families invest so much of themselves into education and what those investments ultimately cost. It raises thoughtful questions about ambition, identity, class, and whether success can ever truly be measured by grades, careers, or prestige alone.
That said, this is definitely a novel that asks for patience. The cast is expansive, it's almost 700 pages, perspectives shift frequently, and there are stretches where the pacing feels deliberately slow. I occasionally found myself wishing for a tighter narrative focus, especially when side stories briefly pulled attention away from the central family. While those moments added richness to the larger picture, they sometimes interrupted my emotional connection to the main storyline. Still, even at its slowest, Lee's writing is elegant and deeply compassionate. She has a remarkable gift for making everyday conversations and seemingly small decisions feel significant because of the emotional history behind them. By the end, I felt like I hadn't simply read about these characters, I had lived their lives right alongside them.
Overall, American Hagwon is a thoughtful, expansive family saga that explores immigration, education, identity, and the resilience required to build a life from the ground up. It may not have reached the emotional heights of my favorite Min Jin Lee novel, but it's still an incredibly rewarding read that offers plenty to reflect on. If you enjoy character-driven literary fiction, expansive family dramas/sagas, and books that value emotional complexity over a fast-moving plot, this is well worth the read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette/Grand Central Publishing/Cardinal for this eARC! I was so excited when they sent me a widget for this, and I'm so grateful I was able to read it ahead of its publication date.
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