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Disorder #1
The Best Girls
Inspired by a true event, this powerful short story from the author of National Book Award finalist Pachinko explores the meaning of patriarchy and the cost of female silence through the eyes of a dutiful young girl.
An excellent student from a poor, traditional family in Seoul, the narrator has absorbed the same message her whole life. Only a boy can provide the family with dignity and wealth. Not her. Not her three sisters. Receiving approval only for uncomplaining sacrifice, she has resolved to take on her family’s troubles. She is a good girl. And she knows what good girls must do.
The Best Girls is part of Disorder, a collection of six short stories of living nightmares, chilling visions, and uncanny imagination that explore a world losing its balance in terrifying ways. Each piece can be read or listened to in a single disorienting sitting.
An excellent student from a poor, traditional family in Seoul, the narrator has absorbed the same message her whole life. Only a boy can provide the family with dignity and wealth. Not her. Not her three sisters. Receiving approval only for uncomplaining sacrifice, she has resolved to take on her family’s troubles. She is a good girl. And she knows what good girls must do.
The Best Girls is part of Disorder, a collection of six short stories of living nightmares, chilling visions, and uncanny imagination that explore a world losing its balance in terrifying ways. Each piece can be read or listened to in a single disorienting sitting.
20 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 27, 2019
1143 people are currently reading
9854 people want to read
About the author
Min Jin Lee
18 books8,591 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 769 reviews
February 4, 2024
A poignant story narrated by a young, gifted and dutiful daughter, growing up in a Korean family grappling with poverty and entrenched patriarchal beliefs.
Upon finishing this, Min Jin Lee has me feeling devastated, outraged and horrified in less than 20 pages—a testament to the storytelling’s raw power in a heart-wrenching exploration of gender discrimination and women's societal roles. Safe to say this one packs a punch (straight to the guts).
Thanks to Barbara & Thibault for putting this on my radar.
___
Goodreads is side-eyeing me for being behind on my reading schedule. Unrelated, I just downloaded this 20-page book.
Upon finishing this, Min Jin Lee has me feeling devastated, outraged and horrified in less than 20 pages—a testament to the storytelling’s raw power in a heart-wrenching exploration of gender discrimination and women's societal roles. Safe to say this one packs a punch (straight to the guts).
Thanks to Barbara & Thibault for putting this on my radar.
___
Goodreads is side-eyeing me for being behind on my reading schedule. Unrelated, I just downloaded this 20-page book.
November 28, 2022
Oh......
I felt the weight of this one.
Min Jin Lee is the talented author of Pachinko and The Best Girls is one of her short stories. If you have read Lee in the past, you know that she has a profound gift for expressing the deep, deep undertones of her characters. Nowhere does she do this better than in The Best Girls.
The Best Girls strings beads around the premise that Life sets up a boundary of limits. Some we come against quite by accident and some we are forced to slam into repeatedly. Some present themselves subtly and some come across like a deafening roar. And those leave the stain of their message that permeates into our souls.
I'd suggest that you enter into this one without a hint whatsoever. It's also been inspired by a true story. And that will have you taking more notice of your own surroundings. The hills that we've created to become jagged mountains. And, in this time and place, the possibility of catching that elusive second wind.
I felt the weight of this one.
Min Jin Lee is the talented author of Pachinko and The Best Girls is one of her short stories. If you have read Lee in the past, you know that she has a profound gift for expressing the deep, deep undertones of her characters. Nowhere does she do this better than in The Best Girls.
The Best Girls strings beads around the premise that Life sets up a boundary of limits. Some we come against quite by accident and some we are forced to slam into repeatedly. Some present themselves subtly and some come across like a deafening roar. And those leave the stain of their message that permeates into our souls.
I'd suggest that you enter into this one without a hint whatsoever. It's also been inspired by a true story. And that will have you taking more notice of your own surroundings. The hills that we've created to become jagged mountains. And, in this time and place, the possibility of catching that elusive second wind.
April 27, 2024
In a Nutshell: An impactful short story highlighting the patriarchal culture of South Korea through the eyes of a little girl. Gripping all the way till the stunning ending. If you want a happy story, stay away. For everyone else, this is a must-read.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Story Synopsis:
This story is a part of ‘Disorder’, described on Amazon as “a collection of six short stories of living nightmares, chilling visions, and uncanny imagination that explore a world losing its balance in terrifying ways.”
Doesn’t that description make you feel that this is a horror story?
Your instinct is right. It IS a horror story! It may not have paranormal elements or sinister entities. What it has is the most horrifying of all creatures: human beings.
I had first read this story in November 2020, and remember being blown away by the writing, the plot and most of all, the ending. When my GR friend Thibault reviewed it recently, I felt compelled to grab my copy and read it again, this time with the intention of penning down my feelings.
Did my feelings change? Not at all!
Was the story still as impactful? Absolutely!
Did the ending still leave me speechless? YES!
Our young narrator stays unnamed. And rightly so. After all, why should girls have a name or a voice, correct? It is boys who will save the souls of their parents, care for them in their old age, and bring honour to the family name. Girls are meant to stay silent and serve. And that’s what our little narrator stoically does till the end.
Till the end.
An end that leaves you haunted by the bravery of that little girl and the desperation of her decision.
Is this a story of South Korea alone? Nope. There are so many countries where the treatment of women is equally abysmal. Regional variations could exist, but in general, this story represents the typical South Asian, East Asian, and South-East Asian mentality of considering boys superior to girls.
Min Jin Lee is most known for her novel ‘Pachinko’, but this story ended up impressing me much more. Her knowledge of her culture as well as depiction of (flawed) human emotions comes out excellently within these few pages.
Other than the main theme, the story also highlights the pressure and responsibility faced by firstborn children, who are often considered substitutes for parents in terms of responsibility and caretaking for their siblings, no matter how young they are.
You know what makes this story even more tragic? The blurb says that it is inspired by a true event. I wish there were details of this event mentioned in the content, but neither the digital edition nor a Google search reveals anything. It breaks my heart that some child in actual S. Korea felt driven to take such an extreme decision. What kind of a world is this where our children don’t feel wanted or loved?
This is an unforgettable story, and it is also a painful one. But read it - you must. If for nothing else, then to realise the privilege your birth lottery has afforded you in ways great and small.
4.5 stars.
This standalone story is a part of the “Disorder” collection, and is currently available free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
If you wish to experience an equally impactful but lengthier novel about the patriarchal attitude towards women in South Korea, please read ‘Kim Ji-Young, born 1982’ – one of my favourite feminist literary fiction novels.
Editing to Add: My resourceful GR friend Carolyn found out the details of the true incident this story is possibly based on. Please click on the links ONLY AFTER you have read the story. Hiding the links under the spoiler tag as the headline reveals a crucial plot development.
Thanks, Carolyn!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Story Synopsis:
Our unnamed first-person narrator, who is nine years old, is the eldest of five children – with only the youngest being a boy. The narrator knows that only boys can provide for their families and bring acclaim to the family name. She also knows that her sisters and she must do all they can to ensure that her brother gets the best of everything, even if she herself is excellent at school. After all, she is a good girl. And this is what good girls do.
This story is a part of ‘Disorder’, described on Amazon as “a collection of six short stories of living nightmares, chilling visions, and uncanny imagination that explore a world losing its balance in terrifying ways.”
Doesn’t that description make you feel that this is a horror story?
Your instinct is right. It IS a horror story! It may not have paranormal elements or sinister entities. What it has is the most horrifying of all creatures: human beings.
I had first read this story in November 2020, and remember being blown away by the writing, the plot and most of all, the ending. When my GR friend Thibault reviewed it recently, I felt compelled to grab my copy and read it again, this time with the intention of penning down my feelings.
Did my feelings change? Not at all!
Was the story still as impactful? Absolutely!
Did the ending still leave me speechless? YES!
Our young narrator stays unnamed. And rightly so. After all, why should girls have a name or a voice, correct? It is boys who will save the souls of their parents, care for them in their old age, and bring honour to the family name. Girls are meant to stay silent and serve. And that’s what our little narrator stoically does till the end.
Till the end.
An end that leaves you haunted by the bravery of that little girl and the desperation of her decision.
Is this a story of South Korea alone? Nope. There are so many countries where the treatment of women is equally abysmal. Regional variations could exist, but in general, this story represents the typical South Asian, East Asian, and South-East Asian mentality of considering boys superior to girls.
Min Jin Lee is most known for her novel ‘Pachinko’, but this story ended up impressing me much more. Her knowledge of her culture as well as depiction of (flawed) human emotions comes out excellently within these few pages.
Other than the main theme, the story also highlights the pressure and responsibility faced by firstborn children, who are often considered substitutes for parents in terms of responsibility and caretaking for their siblings, no matter how young they are.
You know what makes this story even more tragic? The blurb says that it is inspired by a true event. I wish there were details of this event mentioned in the content, but neither the digital edition nor a Google search reveals anything. It breaks my heart that some child in actual S. Korea felt driven to take such an extreme decision. What kind of a world is this where our children don’t feel wanted or loved?
This is an unforgettable story, and it is also a painful one. But read it - you must. If for nothing else, then to realise the privilege your birth lottery has afforded you in ways great and small.
4.5 stars.
This standalone story is a part of the “Disorder” collection, and is currently available free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
If you wish to experience an equally impactful but lengthier novel about the patriarchal attitude towards women in South Korea, please read ‘Kim Ji-Young, born 1982’ – one of my favourite feminist literary fiction novels.
Editing to Add: My resourceful GR friend Carolyn found out the details of the true incident this story is possibly based on. Please click on the links ONLY AFTER you have read the story. Hiding the links under the spoiler tag as the headline reveals a crucial plot development.
Thanks, Carolyn!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
April 28, 2024
4.5 stars
Discussing short stories, we often say that "this one was short yet impactful and powerful." This succinct definition is perfect for describing this 20-page story narrated by a young Korean girl. Her parents struggle to make ends meet. The girl and her sisters have been taught to consider themselves inferior to their little brother, the only son in the family.
"I looked at all the prizes that I got. Slowly I tore each certificate into a thin ribbon. With one of the gold-colored pencils that Miss Kim had given me, I curled the ribbons made from the yellow document papers, pink certificates of excellence, and white pages into a huge serving of paper noodles. After I pulled the pages from the loosened binding of A History of Korea, I had a leather plate on which to place my excellent document noodles. The thin, long pieces of paper were generously flecked with words of black ink. I took the leather cover, which held the remains of my awards, and I tossed them high into the air."
I found this excerpt to be disturbing on several levels.
The protagonist just received many prizes for being the best in her class. Her achievements and diligence are acknowledged. The graduation could have been a wonderful day in her young life, except it was not. Her classmates envy her successes, and she feels increasingly isolated.
Why would anyone want to destroy the ribbons and certificate papers they earned studying hard all year? Why did the parents of this bright and sensitive girl miss her graduation?
The story reflects how entrenched patriarchal beliefs and prejudices can be. Not only can they make someone's life very unpleasant, but they can sometimes kill.
And the ending... it was heartbreaking and memorable.
Discussing short stories, we often say that "this one was short yet impactful and powerful." This succinct definition is perfect for describing this 20-page story narrated by a young Korean girl. Her parents struggle to make ends meet. The girl and her sisters have been taught to consider themselves inferior to their little brother, the only son in the family.
"I looked at all the prizes that I got. Slowly I tore each certificate into a thin ribbon. With one of the gold-colored pencils that Miss Kim had given me, I curled the ribbons made from the yellow document papers, pink certificates of excellence, and white pages into a huge serving of paper noodles. After I pulled the pages from the loosened binding of A History of Korea, I had a leather plate on which to place my excellent document noodles. The thin, long pieces of paper were generously flecked with words of black ink. I took the leather cover, which held the remains of my awards, and I tossed them high into the air."
I found this excerpt to be disturbing on several levels.
The protagonist just received many prizes for being the best in her class. Her achievements and diligence are acknowledged. The graduation could have been a wonderful day in her young life, except it was not. Her classmates envy her successes, and she feels increasingly isolated.
Why would anyone want to destroy the ribbons and certificate papers they earned studying hard all year? Why did the parents of this bright and sensitive girl miss her graduation?
The story reflects how entrenched patriarchal beliefs and prejudices can be. Not only can they make someone's life very unpleasant, but they can sometimes kill.
And the ending... it was heartbreaking and memorable.
November 27, 2022
Short story bender continues. This was sad AF. Very real. Very raw. Very disturbing. The themes were clear.
January 20, 2024
The protagonist is a girl from a poor family in South Korea. When a son is finally born, the whole family sees him as their savior, the one person who could possibly rescue them from poverty one day. Even though the family doesn’t have a lot of money, they want to give the boy all the opportunities in the world to succeed. All opportunities our protagonist and her sisters never got.
This is a short but very bleak and powerful story. It is a story that shows us the unfairness of the whole situation our protagonist finds herself in, simply because she’s a girl. The ending is very unexpected, strong and memorable.
This is a short but very bleak and powerful story. It is a story that shows us the unfairness of the whole situation our protagonist finds herself in, simply because she’s a girl. The ending is very unexpected, strong and memorable.
April 3, 2022
O final 😰😰😰😰😰😰
January 11, 2023
Oh my..😢
I was not expecting that ending!
A very bleak story.
By the author of Pachinko.
A short story free on Amazon Prime!
I was not expecting that ending!
A very bleak story.
By the author of Pachinko.
A short story free on Amazon Prime!
May 11, 2024
Wowza! I didn't see that ending coming, but it left a significant impact.
Shout out to all my GR buddies for bringing this novel to my attention! Thank you! It was an unforgettable read.
*Asian Readathon 2024*
Shout out to all my GR buddies for bringing this novel to my attention! Thank you! It was an unforgettable read.
*Asian Readathon 2024*
January 26, 2024
Tragic
This is a story of a family braving through extreme poverty. One of the five children will eventually take matters into her own hands.
This is a story of a family braving through extreme poverty. One of the five children will eventually take matters into her own hands.
Want to read
March 17, 2025i will read everything min jin lee writes, from grocery lists to amazon exclusive short stories
March 9, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up.
Really upsetting/heartbreaking. Was a quick read and the ending is so sad.
Really upsetting/heartbreaking. Was a quick read and the ending is so sad.
August 23, 2025
This was rather deep and heavy for a 20 page read! Follows a dutiful and gifted daughter growing up in a Korean family dealing with poverty and the patriarchy
September 10, 2019
It didn’t surprise me that the author of Pachinko wrote such a poignant story.
The life of a girl in Korea is not worth much. A son will look after his family, so the parents make sure to give him the best start in life, the choicest of food, education and opportunities.
Being born in a poor family of mostly girls, the narrator feels this imbalance acutely even when she achieves academic success to a greater extent than her brother. When the family's finances sinks even lower something has to give….
I think the audio narrator was great and the story powerful, but it was just too short to leave a lasting impression.
Free with Kindle Unlimited as part of the Disorder Collection.
The life of a girl in Korea is not worth much. A son will look after his family, so the parents make sure to give him the best start in life, the choicest of food, education and opportunities.
Being born in a poor family of mostly girls, the narrator feels this imbalance acutely even when she achieves academic success to a greater extent than her brother. When the family's finances sinks even lower something has to give….
I think the audio narrator was great and the story powerful, but it was just too short to leave a lasting impression.
Free with Kindle Unlimited as part of the Disorder Collection.
February 12, 2025
“I try not to cry, because it doesn’t seem to make any difference. And whenever I do, I shut my eyes to make it stop.”
This was such a devastating read, Min Jin Lee is such a great writer. I will be thinking about that ending for years.
This was such a devastating read, Min Jin Lee is such a great writer. I will be thinking about that ending for years.
December 22, 2025
This slapped pretty hard.
January 24, 2020
There was nothing horribly wrong with this novella, but nothing noteworthy either. I knew very quickly how this would end and there were no suprises. The audible narration was well done.
January 18, 2023
An upsetting book that brought back painful memories of what it's like to feel unloved and unwanted frightened me.
April 12, 2024
A short, but highly impactful tale of a poor South Korean family in 1989, which conveys the prevailing attitude that only boys are important: "Four girls - what a fate!". The ending is gut wrenching.
May 14, 2020
I read this as part of the Disorder collection, which consists of six individually published short stories (if you're an Amazon Prime member, they're all free to read). They're described as 'stories of living nightmares, chilling visions, and uncanny imagination that explore a world losing its balance in terrifying ways'.
Given that description, I wasn't expecting something like the harsh realism of the first story, 'The Best Girls' by Min Jin Lee. In 1980s Seoul, the narrator grows up in a desperately poor family. She and her three sisters frequently find themselves sidelined in favour of their youngest sibling, Jaesung, the only boy. The narrator excels at school, but her parents won't pay for tuition to get her to university; that privilege is reserved for Jaesung, who has been the family's hope for 'dignity and wealth' since the day of his birth. At first I wasn't sure how the plot fitted with the themes of the collection, which suggest horror; the answer lies in the dark, tragic conclusion the narrator reaches. 'The Best Girls' seemed rather slight when I was reading it, but has left a strong impression, and communicates a lot in a small number of pages.
TinyLetter
Given that description, I wasn't expecting something like the harsh realism of the first story, 'The Best Girls' by Min Jin Lee. In 1980s Seoul, the narrator grows up in a desperately poor family. She and her three sisters frequently find themselves sidelined in favour of their youngest sibling, Jaesung, the only boy. The narrator excels at school, but her parents won't pay for tuition to get her to university; that privilege is reserved for Jaesung, who has been the family's hope for 'dignity and wealth' since the day of his birth. At first I wasn't sure how the plot fitted with the themes of the collection, which suggest horror; the answer lies in the dark, tragic conclusion the narrator reaches. 'The Best Girls' seemed rather slight when I was reading it, but has left a strong impression, and communicates a lot in a small number of pages.
TinyLetter
January 1, 2020
Another good one in the collection. Young girls make a surprising decision when their parents experience a downturn of fortunes. Affecting because it rings true...
4+ Stars
Listened to the audio book.
4+ Stars
Listened to the audio book.
September 26, 2024
A poignant short story on what women face, especially in the more conservative cultures.
The story is told from the perspective on an unnamed young Korean girl in Seoul. Janmi, is the 4th girl child for the family, who are very disappointed. Janmi’s other sisters are Okmi & Sangmi. Jaesung, a boy, is born a year later and the family is relieved. The grandmother says that Jaesung has to be looked after with care, as he would protect and honour his family. The narrator girl is brilliant in her studies, winning many awards. There is no appreciation from the family, friends or anyone else.
I felt a sense of sadness at the way the story ended – suggesting what might happen to the girls next. But that it is the reality many societies have to face up to and change. The good thing is that we have come some way, but yet have a long way to go in many parts of the world.
A short story which leaves an impact.
I took this up based on my friend Rosh’s review.
The story is told from the perspective on an unnamed young Korean girl in Seoul. Janmi, is the 4th girl child for the family, who are very disappointed. Janmi’s other sisters are Okmi & Sangmi. Jaesung, a boy, is born a year later and the family is relieved. The grandmother says that Jaesung has to be looked after with care, as he would protect and honour his family. The narrator girl is brilliant in her studies, winning many awards. There is no appreciation from the family, friends or anyone else.
I felt a sense of sadness at the way the story ended – suggesting what might happen to the girls next. But that it is the reality many societies have to face up to and change. The good thing is that we have come some way, but yet have a long way to go in many parts of the world.
A short story which leaves an impact.
I took this up based on my friend Rosh’s review.
December 1, 2022
Heart Wrenching, I have nothing else to say.
July 18, 2021
This a quick and dark read, and part of the DISORDER’s Amazon Original Stories collection. It is better to go into it without knowing much about. I enjoyed it and recommend it.
July 18, 2020
'The Best Girls' by Min Jin Lee, the author of the bestselling novel Pachinko, has pain packed in its pages. In this short story, we come in close quarters of how patriarchy is not just a topic for debate or casual blame-game, but a reality that has ruined the lives of thousands of women.
Our narrator lives in a house where her brother is considered the salvation every parent looks for. He is destined to be a scholar (apparently) and will one day make his family proud. But the evil eye doesn't spare anyone. After losing their house to the loan sharks, the family is left in a situation where they have to count every last penny, most of which has been kept aside for their son's education.
As the narrator describes her achievements and her dreams, you would feel a shiver run down your spine. The pain is apparent, but so is the social conditioning- every last thing must go to the male child in the family.
Barely 18 pages in length, 'The Best Girls' is a tormenting tale of a world with imbalance and injustice, a story most families hold in the cracks of their walls.
Our narrator lives in a house where her brother is considered the salvation every parent looks for. He is destined to be a scholar (apparently) and will one day make his family proud. But the evil eye doesn't spare anyone. After losing their house to the loan sharks, the family is left in a situation where they have to count every last penny, most of which has been kept aside for their son's education.
As the narrator describes her achievements and her dreams, you would feel a shiver run down your spine. The pain is apparent, but so is the social conditioning- every last thing must go to the male child in the family.
Barely 18 pages in length, 'The Best Girls' is a tormenting tale of a world with imbalance and injustice, a story most families hold in the cracks of their walls.
December 10, 2023
Set in 1989 in Seoul, this is a heavy-handed short story from the author of 'Pachinko' about family gender dynamics. I really did not like the ending, which adds such a big dollop of melodrama to what would have worked much better as a quieter, more subtle interrogation of the consequences of societal expectations.
June 27, 2020
My only regret is that why is this so short???
A family with 4 girls who are overlooked in every aspect once the golden boy child it born.
The narrator is the eldest of the lot and through her eyes you see the obvious discrimination the girls are met at home as well as at their school.
The scene where she gets her awards and how people around her react to it proves again why women have to work so much more harder to get their due for the bare minimum men do. Patriarchal trauma runs so deep, it's just painful to know how badly the girls are conditioned to feel undeserving of their own worth.
Must read!
A family with 4 girls who are overlooked in every aspect once the golden boy child it born.
The narrator is the eldest of the lot and through her eyes you see the obvious discrimination the girls are met at home as well as at their school.
The scene where she gets her awards and how people around her react to it proves again why women have to work so much more harder to get their due for the bare minimum men do. Patriarchal trauma runs so deep, it's just painful to know how badly the girls are conditioned to feel undeserving of their own worth.
Must read!
September 1, 2021
The author Pachinko brings alive the ingrained misogyny in East Asian society through this brilliant tale of four unwanted girls in a family of five children. Only the fifth, a boy matters. When things reach a tipping point, the preteen narrator, the eldest child, decides to take matters into her own hands.
Told in a tone of quiet despair, this tale is heart-rending.
Told in a tone of quiet despair, this tale is heart-rending.
February 16, 2022
Heartbreaking. That's really all I can say.
July 5, 2019
Didn't expect that ending... yikes.
Well written, though I had a bit of trouble keeping the girls' names straight.
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Plot/characters: 3.5 stars
Narrator: 4 stars
Writing: 3.5 stars
*Read for free with Kindle Unlimited and Audible for the audiobook *
Well written, though I had a bit of trouble keeping the girls' names straight.
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Plot/characters: 3.5 stars
Narrator: 4 stars
Writing: 3.5 stars
*Read for free with Kindle Unlimited and Audible for the audiobook *
Displaying 1 - 30 of 769 reviews