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Excavations
A former journalist turned stay-at-home mother ventures into the dark underbelly of Seoul, South Korea, to find her missing husband and protect her children in this gripping, page-turning exploration of the lengths one will go to unveil hard truths.
At home in Seoul, former journalist Sae is waiting with two clingy toddlers for her husband to come home from work. He has never been this late before. Her children are crying, and Sae, exhausted and anxious, turns on the TV to distract herself. She clicks to the news, which shows a horrific disaster, the collapse of a massive skyscraper where Jae was an engineer.
Minutes, then hours, and then days pass. No one has seen Jae, but things aren't adding up. There are rumors that the foundation was unstable. Jae had told Sae he was working on a swimming pool on the top floor, but reports showed he was in the basement, on a different project. The government was involved but the contractors missing. Sae--who met Jae when they were students at an anti-government protest and has relied on him as her guiding and steadying hand--is troubled, terrified, and...suspicious.
Leaving the children with her estranged mother, Sae sets out to uncover the truth of what happened to her husband. Her research turns up files and secret correspondences pointing to government cover-ups. Eventually, her investigation takes her to an upscale club where the proprietor, Myonghee, is not merely supplying booze and girls but also seeking information, for her own purposes, from every drunken businessman who lets corporate secrets slip. As Sae begins to find what she sought, she must ask herself: how well can you truly know the one you love and how much should you really trust those in power?
At home in Seoul, former journalist Sae is waiting with two clingy toddlers for her husband to come home from work. He has never been this late before. Her children are crying, and Sae, exhausted and anxious, turns on the TV to distract herself. She clicks to the news, which shows a horrific disaster, the collapse of a massive skyscraper where Jae was an engineer.
Minutes, then hours, and then days pass. No one has seen Jae, but things aren't adding up. There are rumors that the foundation was unstable. Jae had told Sae he was working on a swimming pool on the top floor, but reports showed he was in the basement, on a different project. The government was involved but the contractors missing. Sae--who met Jae when they were students at an anti-government protest and has relied on him as her guiding and steadying hand--is troubled, terrified, and...suspicious.
Leaving the children with her estranged mother, Sae sets out to uncover the truth of what happened to her husband. Her research turns up files and secret correspondences pointing to government cover-ups. Eventually, her investigation takes her to an upscale club where the proprietor, Myonghee, is not merely supplying booze and girls but also seeking information, for her own purposes, from every drunken businessman who lets corporate secrets slip. As Sae begins to find what she sought, she must ask herself: how well can you truly know the one you love and how much should you really trust those in power?
320 pages, Hardcover
First published July 11, 2023
67 people are currently reading
10202 people want to read
About the author
Hannah Michell
3 books48 followersHannah Michell is a writer and lecturer based in Berkeley and is the author of The Defections (Quercus, 2014). Her short stories and essays have appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, Mslexia and the Asian Review of Books. Hannah teaches at UC Berkeley in the Asian American Studies program.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews
July 12, 2023
Excavations by Hannah Michell examines the cost of greed and how well you really know someone.
In Seoul, Korea, Sae waits with her two toddlers for her husband Jae to return from work. He’s never usually this late, so she starts to worry. She turns on the news and sees the rubble of a tragic accident: the skyscraper where Jae works has collapsed.
The rest of the story follows Sae in the days and weeks after the accident as she investigates what went wrong. Jae told Sae he was installing a pool on the tower’s roof. So why do reports indicate he was in the basement working on a different project?
This book follows two seemingly unrelated POVs that eventually intersect with each other. It tells a tale of political and economic greed and corruption.
It also looks at motherhood in a way that is probably not often discussed.
While this story unfolds in an intriguing fashion with a shocker reveal, it is a slow burn, and the writing style keeps the reader at a distance. The writing style slightly dampened the emotional impact, although it was probably a deliberate choice.
Still, I’d say this is worth a read.
3.5.
CW: SA.
Thank you to Random House for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
https://booksandwheels.com
In Seoul, Korea, Sae waits with her two toddlers for her husband Jae to return from work. He’s never usually this late, so she starts to worry. She turns on the news and sees the rubble of a tragic accident: the skyscraper where Jae works has collapsed.
The rest of the story follows Sae in the days and weeks after the accident as she investigates what went wrong. Jae told Sae he was installing a pool on the tower’s roof. So why do reports indicate he was in the basement working on a different project?
This book follows two seemingly unrelated POVs that eventually intersect with each other. It tells a tale of political and economic greed and corruption.
It also looks at motherhood in a way that is probably not often discussed.
While this story unfolds in an intriguing fashion with a shocker reveal, it is a slow burn, and the writing style keeps the reader at a distance. The writing style slightly dampened the emotional impact, although it was probably a deliberate choice.
Still, I’d say this is worth a read.
3.5.
CW: SA.
Thank you to Random House for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
https://booksandwheels.com
March 22, 2023
A phenomenal book based on a real life situation in South Korea.
When Sae's husband doesn't return one evening, she is forced to confront the issue that he may have died in the collapse of a skyscraper where he was recently assigned to work. Days pass as Sae cares for her two young children but she does not give up hope. As she reflects on their relationship and the political leanings that brought them together, we realize that there is more at stake then faulty building structures.
If you like a slow burn, political and business corruption and conspiracies or just are interested in a South Korean tale, Excavations is for you!
·(This story is loosely based off the devastating 1995 Sampoong department store collapse in Seoul, South Korea. It is definitely worth googling that disaster before or after the story.)
#excavations #hannahmichell #randomhouse
When Sae's husband doesn't return one evening, she is forced to confront the issue that he may have died in the collapse of a skyscraper where he was recently assigned to work. Days pass as Sae cares for her two young children but she does not give up hope. As she reflects on their relationship and the political leanings that brought them together, we realize that there is more at stake then faulty building structures.
If you like a slow burn, political and business corruption and conspiracies or just are interested in a South Korean tale, Excavations is for you!
·(This story is loosely based off the devastating 1995 Sampoong department store collapse in Seoul, South Korea. It is definitely worth googling that disaster before or after the story.)
#excavations #hannahmichell #randomhouse
March 24, 2024
(Miigwech to one world books for sending me this gifted copy. It came to me while I was a newly diagnosed cancer patient and kept my mind occupied when I needed it the most. )
Have you read Excavations by Hannah Michell? I devoured it this summer while I was undergoing my egg retrieval and I’m not sure if it’s because my hormones were all over the place but this book really had me feeling everything.
It was full of mystery, secrecy, love Korean history and heartbreak. For a novel that’s rather fast paced and a quick read, I found the relationships and the layers within nuanced and palpable. The plot kept me intrigued the entire way through and I gasped and cried along the way (again, hormones. Maybe.)
I remember when the book was over, I wanted more, I wanted further answers and resolve but as so often in real life, amidst immense grief and oppression, there are no clean and happy endings.
Have you read Excavations by Hannah Michell? I devoured it this summer while I was undergoing my egg retrieval and I’m not sure if it’s because my hormones were all over the place but this book really had me feeling everything.
It was full of mystery, secrecy, love Korean history and heartbreak. For a novel that’s rather fast paced and a quick read, I found the relationships and the layers within nuanced and palpable. The plot kept me intrigued the entire way through and I gasped and cried along the way (again, hormones. Maybe.)
I remember when the book was over, I wanted more, I wanted further answers and resolve but as so often in real life, amidst immense grief and oppression, there are no clean and happy endings.
March 19, 2023
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House, One World for the copy of Excavations by Hannah Michell. This is a story about the collapse of a skyscraper and Sae’s quest to find her husband who worked in the skyscraper and doesn’t come home. This is not my usual kind of book, but it sounded intriguing so I thought I would take a chance. Sae is a tenacious wife and mother and a really interesting character. I did feel like the book bogged down a little in the middle because there was so much going on and so many stories. I was glad I kept reading because the stories all came together in a satisfying way in the end. If you want a family story that spans generations, this is the book for you. The writing, the story, and the characters are all top notch!
March 26, 2023
Excavations is the type of book that will keep you thinking long after you read it. Sae is a stay at home mom in Seoul, South Korea with two toddlers. She is waiting for her husband to come home when she hears the news that the building he worked at had collapsed. Refusing to believe that he could possibly be dead, Sae searches for answers as to what happened. While trying to uncover what happens she meets Myonghee, who runs an upscale brothel. The two of them will uncover that there is so much more to this story and their personal lives as well.
There was mystery and intrigue as well as different ties and connections between characters that I did not see coming. The setting of South Korea brought a whole new world to life for me as I got a sense of the culture and background of the characters. This book was very well written and will keep you guessing as to what is going to happen next. An interesting read that will keep you guessing until the end.
Thank you to One World Books and Penguin Random House for this advanced copy.
There was mystery and intrigue as well as different ties and connections between characters that I did not see coming. The setting of South Korea brought a whole new world to life for me as I got a sense of the culture and background of the characters. This book was very well written and will keep you guessing as to what is going to happen next. An interesting read that will keep you guessing until the end.
Thank you to One World Books and Penguin Random House for this advanced copy.
March 10, 2024
“The central instrument of torture was not pain; the central mechanism of interrogations was the dismantling of the spirit. This was how dissidents were disarmed: Fear emptied the body of feeling, until they became mere husks, no longer all there, no longer a threat.”
Rich with Korean history, Michell’s book Excavations is a story of balancing grief, motherhood, and perseverance; the slow-burn mystery unravels deeper and deeper with interconnecting characters as time goes on… a favorite “trope” of mine, if you will, and a favorite read of 2024 for sure.
★★★★★
Rich with Korean history, Michell’s book Excavations is a story of balancing grief, motherhood, and perseverance; the slow-burn mystery unravels deeper and deeper with interconnecting characters as time goes on… a favorite “trope” of mine, if you will, and a favorite read of 2024 for sure.
★★★★★
July 31, 2023
How far are you willing to go to uncover the truth? Seoul 1992, Sae, a former journalist turned stay-at-home mother, waits anxiously with her crying toddlers for her husband, Jae, to return home from work. When he doesn't return, the collapse of a skyscraper where Jae worked raises suspicions about the true cause. Sae, troubled and suspicious, embarks on a quest to find her husband and for the truth, unearthing government cover-ups and secret dealings, forcing her to question her trust in her husband and those in power.
This book kept me on edge the whole time! Although this book is a slow-burn, Hannah Michell's writing kept me engaged and maintained a sense of urgency and tension throughout the novel. I wish we had more time with some characters and maybe saw their POV, however I understand the choice to keep the book in Sae's perspective in order to further the mystery element.
This story will definitely stay with me for a long time and excited to read more from Hannah Michell. 3.5/5
Thank you NetGalley, One World Books and Penguin Random House for the digital e-arc. "Excavations" comes out July 11th!
This book kept me on edge the whole time! Although this book is a slow-burn, Hannah Michell's writing kept me engaged and maintained a sense of urgency and tension throughout the novel. I wish we had more time with some characters and maybe saw their POV, however I understand the choice to keep the book in Sae's perspective in order to further the mystery element.
This story will definitely stay with me for a long time and excited to read more from Hannah Michell. 3.5/5
Thank you NetGalley, One World Books and Penguin Random House for the digital e-arc. "Excavations" comes out July 11th!
June 18, 2024
Inspired by the 1995 Sampoong Department Store collapse in South Korea, EXCAVATIONS perfectly blends history, mystery, and family secrets into a captivating narrative following a former journalist turned stay-at-home mom who ventures to find her missing husband. I'm blown away by Michell's skill in crafting an absorbing mystery about the dark underbelly of Seoul while creating vivid and realistic characters for which I grow to root. While there's a little bit of everything, the angles of student protests post WW2, rampant corruption in a capitalist country, and the secrets we keep in the name of protection are all deeply explored. EXCAVATIONS is the perfect read that will surely bring you out of a reading slump.
February 2, 2025
Almost dnf’ed this multiple times but glad I stuck it out, the last 15% came together really nicely.
March 10, 2023
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. I was drawn to the cover, and then the description drew me in.... but that's about all. This book is very plot-driven - it moves very quickly, and there are a lot of moving pieces that come together (rather predictably) in the end. I found the writing to be very awkward and stilted, and the writing style combined with the quick pace of the plot left little room for characterization. All the characters here seemed to fall flat - I didn't really connect with any of them. The "big reveals" in this story were too soap-opera for me.... This book just wasn't my thing.
January 29, 2024
I’m having a rough go with stories regarding mothers.
March 6, 2024
Seoul, Korea - former journalist Sae is waiting for her husband (Jae) to return from work when she sees a news about the collapse of a Tower, where Jae is supposed to be working on the installation of a swimming pool on the top floor. However the reports indicate that he was in the basement, working on a different project. Sae, then, sets out to search for the truth about her husband.
Alternating (mainly) between three POVs - Sae, Chairman of the Taehan Group and the proprietor of the club Myonghee - and going back and forth between past/present, this book goes down a rabbit-hole of government corruption and the complexity of family. Korean history is seamlessly woven in the narrative, a time period where people fight to dismantle the dictatorship. The country's history is distorted by those who nurture a version of the truth to consolidate power. By questioning the meaning of country's institutions, Michell brilliantly crafts a story that unfolds shocking revelations, delivering a sharp commentary on the power and cost of greed.
On a more intimate tone, the story excavates into the challenges/beauty of motherhood and it resonates with me. The honest account of the past offers moments of reckoning, capturing the several facets of family that include the undeniable bond as well as the darkest part of it. The characters are nuanced in a plot which mystery is consistently build up, highlighted by a robust writing and landing in an emotionally laden closure.
Loosely based on the devastating 1995 Sampoong department store collapse in Seoul, EXCAVATIONS is a powerful story that questions who authors history; and how well do you know the one you love. The book caters to readers who enjoy a multi-layered mystery that echoes timeless themes. In short, this is an underhyped book that I need everyone to read, as I thought it was great.
[ I received an ARC from the publisher - One world books . All opinions are my own ]
Alternating (mainly) between three POVs - Sae, Chairman of the Taehan Group and the proprietor of the club Myonghee - and going back and forth between past/present, this book goes down a rabbit-hole of government corruption and the complexity of family. Korean history is seamlessly woven in the narrative, a time period where people fight to dismantle the dictatorship. The country's history is distorted by those who nurture a version of the truth to consolidate power. By questioning the meaning of country's institutions, Michell brilliantly crafts a story that unfolds shocking revelations, delivering a sharp commentary on the power and cost of greed.
On a more intimate tone, the story excavates into the challenges/beauty of motherhood and it resonates with me. The honest account of the past offers moments of reckoning, capturing the several facets of family that include the undeniable bond as well as the darkest part of it. The characters are nuanced in a plot which mystery is consistently build up, highlighted by a robust writing and landing in an emotionally laden closure.
Loosely based on the devastating 1995 Sampoong department store collapse in Seoul, EXCAVATIONS is a powerful story that questions who authors history; and how well do you know the one you love. The book caters to readers who enjoy a multi-layered mystery that echoes timeless themes. In short, this is an underhyped book that I need everyone to read, as I thought it was great.
[ I received an ARC from the publisher - One world books . All opinions are my own ]
December 25, 2024
I really enjoy historical fiction and this was a really solid book that exposed me to a time in South Korea 's history that I wasn't aware of. The book is set in Seoul in alternating timelines between the 1980s and 2016. The book centers around a mother who is on a mission to find her husband after the collapse of a building. There are multiple seemingly disparate threads and characters in the story that come together in ways that feel very predictable far before the reveal.
The plot is really interesting and keeps you going but the pacing was just a bit too slow on bringing the threads together before the reader could already guess what was happening. It made for an anticlimactic feeling and it almost felt like the book went on a touch too long. It would've been nice to have gotten the husband's point of view before it came. The writing edged on the beautiful at times but somehow fell short of the emotion that it circled around.
Those things said I'm really interested in what the author was trying to say about the dissonance or gap between individual memory and official history. I absolutely want to follow this read up with more research into Korea's postwar history and the human costs of rapid development. This book was a great entry point to that.
I would rate this book 3.5 stars.
The plot is really interesting and keeps you going but the pacing was just a bit too slow on bringing the threads together before the reader could already guess what was happening. It made for an anticlimactic feeling and it almost felt like the book went on a touch too long. It would've been nice to have gotten the husband's point of view before it came. The writing edged on the beautiful at times but somehow fell short of the emotion that it circled around.
Those things said I'm really interested in what the author was trying to say about the dissonance or gap between individual memory and official history. I absolutely want to follow this read up with more research into Korea's postwar history and the human costs of rapid development. This book was a great entry point to that.
I would rate this book 3.5 stars.
April 29, 2023
1995, Seoul: Sae is a former journalist turned stay-at-home housewife taking care of her two toddler sons Heung-min and Soon-min waiting for her husband Jae to arrive home for dinner. It's a day no different than any other, but Jae's uncharacteristic lateness becomes increasingly worrisome - until Sae's neighbor comes by and she learns of the sudden collapse of Aspiration Tower, a skyscraper that her husband, an architect, was working on. Panicked, Sae tries to find her husband while hoping for the best, for her search for what happened leads her down a completely different path as she realizes how little about him she actually knew.
The novel shifts timelines, as Sae recalls how she first met her husband, and storylines as other seemingly disparate characters are introduced including Myonghee, the owner of a brothel in the city, as well as an interview done of the founder of Taehan Group, the company who commissioned the work behind Aspiration Tower. The novel unfolds like a mystery as all of these storylines come together and the truth behind the tower's collapse is revealed.
As a whole, I enjoyed this novel especially as Michell has based much of the story on the true events of the Sampoong Department Store collapse in Seoul, and also incorporates the events of the Sewol Ferry Disaster that happened in 2014 as well. It's a jarring look at the historical and ongoing corruption by large corporations and the government, and the role journalists play and revealing the truth, even at the risk of their own lives. I did struggle with the novel, however, given the uneven pacing and the frequent plot jumps across time periods and characters; especially at the beginning of the novel, it's difficult to keep track of. The writing tone and voice took some time to get used to as well, as it's unexpectedly rigid and unemotional, and makes the characters feel inaccessible for a majority of the novel.
Worth a read given the unique focus and style of the novel, but I think some readers will struggle to keep up.
Thank you One World Publishing for the advance copy of this novel!
The novel shifts timelines, as Sae recalls how she first met her husband, and storylines as other seemingly disparate characters are introduced including Myonghee, the owner of a brothel in the city, as well as an interview done of the founder of Taehan Group, the company who commissioned the work behind Aspiration Tower. The novel unfolds like a mystery as all of these storylines come together and the truth behind the tower's collapse is revealed.
As a whole, I enjoyed this novel especially as Michell has based much of the story on the true events of the Sampoong Department Store collapse in Seoul, and also incorporates the events of the Sewol Ferry Disaster that happened in 2014 as well. It's a jarring look at the historical and ongoing corruption by large corporations and the government, and the role journalists play and revealing the truth, even at the risk of their own lives. I did struggle with the novel, however, given the uneven pacing and the frequent plot jumps across time periods and characters; especially at the beginning of the novel, it's difficult to keep track of. The writing tone and voice took some time to get used to as well, as it's unexpectedly rigid and unemotional, and makes the characters feel inaccessible for a majority of the novel.
Worth a read given the unique focus and style of the novel, but I think some readers will struggle to keep up.
Thank you One World Publishing for the advance copy of this novel!
June 25, 2023
EXCAVATIONS |
A former journalist, now mother of two hears news that the building her husband has been working on has collapsed. Her husband had been employed to work on a pool addition to the roof. Now it has come in to question whether that faulty architecture caused the collapse
We flip back and forth between the past when Sae was a student and a recruiter for an anti govt activist group during the 80s that faced stark silencing and crackdowns of any disobedience or show or unionizing and current day where Sae can't just sit and wait to hear what's happened and her journalist side kicks in as we dig in and start chasing leads. Only we find out that there is much that she does not know about who her husband is and who he ever was.
In some ways this reads as a neo-noir where Sae, the MC and mom, is the detective, searching for the truth about her partner in a city run by corrupt corporate greed. There's also a men's nightclub at the center of this, that acts as a point of double crossing but also much much more which you could argue is the femme fatale.
But there's some stark commentary on the question of who gets to tell history, to write down not just your own personal history/legacy, but a country's history, the govt, those in power? And is it worth one person's livelihood and all that they have at stake to go up against the pets that be to challenge that, in order to execute the truth? Set against historical backdrop of Korea's history I found this to be a powerful read. And of course ended it crying. I thought it was a great read.
A former journalist, now mother of two hears news that the building her husband has been working on has collapsed. Her husband had been employed to work on a pool addition to the roof. Now it has come in to question whether that faulty architecture caused the collapse
We flip back and forth between the past when Sae was a student and a recruiter for an anti govt activist group during the 80s that faced stark silencing and crackdowns of any disobedience or show or unionizing and current day where Sae can't just sit and wait to hear what's happened and her journalist side kicks in as we dig in and start chasing leads. Only we find out that there is much that she does not know about who her husband is and who he ever was.
In some ways this reads as a neo-noir where Sae, the MC and mom, is the detective, searching for the truth about her partner in a city run by corrupt corporate greed. There's also a men's nightclub at the center of this, that acts as a point of double crossing but also much much more which you could argue is the femme fatale.
But there's some stark commentary on the question of who gets to tell history, to write down not just your own personal history/legacy, but a country's history, the govt, those in power? And is it worth one person's livelihood and all that they have at stake to go up against the pets that be to challenge that, in order to execute the truth? Set against historical backdrop of Korea's history I found this to be a powerful read. And of course ended it crying. I thought it was a great read.
July 13, 2024
This was absolutely fantastic!
July 11, 2023
Sae is stuck at home with her increasingly needy twin sons, waiting for her husband Jae to arrive home for the evening. When she flicks on the TV for a distraction, a surreal news story breaks across her screen: the building Jae's current engineering project was in suffered a massive collapse. But he's fine. He's got to be fine. Right?
We've all lived through tragedy, and though it's an extremely US-centric knee jerk thought, the echo of what it felt like trying to wrap my mind around what was happening on 9/11 reverberated in my head, immediately pulling me into Sae's story. The only thing she could think to do was to head down to what was left of the tower and find her husband--regardless of what exactly that meant. Though she thought her journalism career was behind her, Sae's quest to find out what happened to Jae turns up one odd anomaly after another, leaving her with more questions than answers. Sae doesn't like unanswered questions.
Michell winds through Sae and Jae's story, slowly piecing together their love story built on their shared passion of protests and the underground movement fighting for a revolution while Sae stretches to find out what happened to her husband. In the process, she uncovers shocking and confusing information that's not only not much help in locating Jae, but leads her to start questioning if she ever really knew who he was at all. While she forges ahead despite roadblocks and signs of danger ahead, she unintentionally withdraws further and further from her sons, who begin to attach themselves to her estranged mother in their own mother's absence.
I will say it took me a few chapters of switching narratives to fully latch on to the cast of characters outside of Sae's nuclear family, but each plays a part worth exploring. The build is paced well, but I found the twist somewhat predictable due to foreshadowing that felt a bit heavy-handed. Additional twists paid off much better for me, and i was eager to reach the end and make sure I had put all the pieces together. Excavations may be full of characters, story, pain, but it also brims with hope. There's a lovely and nuanced story here of family, motherhood, and weighing the consequences of your place on the frontlines of a passionate fight versus the fight to be the person you were meant to be. If you don't decide for yourself, you may be trapped into someone else's choice.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC.
We've all lived through tragedy, and though it's an extremely US-centric knee jerk thought, the echo of what it felt like trying to wrap my mind around what was happening on 9/11 reverberated in my head, immediately pulling me into Sae's story. The only thing she could think to do was to head down to what was left of the tower and find her husband--regardless of what exactly that meant. Though she thought her journalism career was behind her, Sae's quest to find out what happened to Jae turns up one odd anomaly after another, leaving her with more questions than answers. Sae doesn't like unanswered questions.
Michell winds through Sae and Jae's story, slowly piecing together their love story built on their shared passion of protests and the underground movement fighting for a revolution while Sae stretches to find out what happened to her husband. In the process, she uncovers shocking and confusing information that's not only not much help in locating Jae, but leads her to start questioning if she ever really knew who he was at all. While she forges ahead despite roadblocks and signs of danger ahead, she unintentionally withdraws further and further from her sons, who begin to attach themselves to her estranged mother in their own mother's absence.
I will say it took me a few chapters of switching narratives to fully latch on to the cast of characters outside of Sae's nuclear family, but each plays a part worth exploring. The build is paced well, but I found the twist somewhat predictable due to foreshadowing that felt a bit heavy-handed. Additional twists paid off much better for me, and i was eager to reach the end and make sure I had put all the pieces together. Excavations may be full of characters, story, pain, but it also brims with hope. There's a lovely and nuanced story here of family, motherhood, and weighing the consequences of your place on the frontlines of a passionate fight versus the fight to be the person you were meant to be. If you don't decide for yourself, you may be trapped into someone else's choice.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC.
August 7, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of
Excavations.
First, great cover! Second, great premise!
** Minor spoilers ahead **
Sae is waiting for her husband, Jae, to come home when a massive building collapses.
As an engineer tasked with a project at the building, Sae fears the worst when she receives no word from Jae.
And her journey to discover who her husband truly was begins.
I really liked the relationship between Sae and Jae, flashbacks to how their relationship began was integral to understanding their bond.
I wasn't a fan of the political stuff, but I understood it added nuance to how they met and how their relationship evolved.
Watching Sae pound the pavement and tap into her journalistic talents to uncover the cover up was great to see.
At first, I didn't understand Myonghee's role, though I knew it had to be a good one.
Why else include her character into the narrative?
I liked how Myonghee and Sae's friendship develops, and how the older woman is the one who gives Sae the final nudge to pursue their quest for justice.
Corruption in politics and business is nothing new but I always enjoy an ending when the bad guys get their comeuppance, even though it was nearly three decades in the making.
It was wonderful to see how exposing the truth was what truly made Sae begin the healing process after losing her husband, her marriage, her family, and almost herself.
I look forward to the author's next book.
First, great cover! Second, great premise!
** Minor spoilers ahead **
Sae is waiting for her husband, Jae, to come home when a massive building collapses.
As an engineer tasked with a project at the building, Sae fears the worst when she receives no word from Jae.
And her journey to discover who her husband truly was begins.
I really liked the relationship between Sae and Jae, flashbacks to how their relationship began was integral to understanding their bond.
I wasn't a fan of the political stuff, but I understood it added nuance to how they met and how their relationship evolved.
Watching Sae pound the pavement and tap into her journalistic talents to uncover the cover up was great to see.
At first, I didn't understand Myonghee's role, though I knew it had to be a good one.
Why else include her character into the narrative?
I liked how Myonghee and Sae's friendship develops, and how the older woman is the one who gives Sae the final nudge to pursue their quest for justice.
Corruption in politics and business is nothing new but I always enjoy an ending when the bad guys get their comeuppance, even though it was nearly three decades in the making.
It was wonderful to see how exposing the truth was what truly made Sae begin the healing process after losing her husband, her marriage, her family, and almost herself.
I look forward to the author's next book.
August 6, 2023
Hannah Michell is an ambitious writer and takes us into a tangled and complicated story with Excavations, her debut novel. What is most fascinating about this book is that for the most part is she weaves all the stories together giving the reader insights into Korea’s past, the political situation up to recent times, and how corruption has played in a role everyday people’s life.
Sae, a former journalist with a dogged nature, gives up her career to stay home with her two boys and is married to her true love Jae, who she met during her student protest days. She loves Jae deeply. Daily life is a bit hard, not an abundance of money, and no family to help with the boys. Tragedy strikes when Jae is working on a renowned building called the Aspiration Tower when it collapses.
The building collapse sets Sae on a journey of discovery, and one that reveals things about herself, her husband and her country that are deeply tragic and life altering. Hannah does get bogged down at times as the book is often switching from the past to the present and sometimes the book loses its pace in so many details. There is even a tangent storyline about the owner of a brothel called Myongee whose story is woven into the main story in surprising ways and that intertwines into Sae’s life.
Sae is a richly drawn character, and her life with Jae seemed so perfect, until he is gone. She does grow in the book and we become deeply embedded in her struggles, even her failings as a mother. In the end the book gives us hope and levels of forgiveness that are profound and deeply meaningful.
It is worth the read, and I look forward to more stories from Hannah Mitchell. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read the book.
Sae, a former journalist with a dogged nature, gives up her career to stay home with her two boys and is married to her true love Jae, who she met during her student protest days. She loves Jae deeply. Daily life is a bit hard, not an abundance of money, and no family to help with the boys. Tragedy strikes when Jae is working on a renowned building called the Aspiration Tower when it collapses.
The building collapse sets Sae on a journey of discovery, and one that reveals things about herself, her husband and her country that are deeply tragic and life altering. Hannah does get bogged down at times as the book is often switching from the past to the present and sometimes the book loses its pace in so many details. There is even a tangent storyline about the owner of a brothel called Myongee whose story is woven into the main story in surprising ways and that intertwines into Sae’s life.
Sae is a richly drawn character, and her life with Jae seemed so perfect, until he is gone. She does grow in the book and we become deeply embedded in her struggles, even her failings as a mother. In the end the book gives us hope and levels of forgiveness that are profound and deeply meaningful.
It is worth the read, and I look forward to more stories from Hannah Mitchell. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read the book.
August 7, 2023
I really wanted to enjoy this book more than I actually did, which I’m sad about! I think that the plot was really interesting, I’m always into the ‘corrupt rich company’ type drama, but I think ultimately it was a combination of pacing and writing style that I didn’t love. Almost like if the pace was a little better, I wouldn’t have minded the writing as much, or if I liked the writing style more then I wouldn’t have minded the pacing as much. I also feel like the character development was a bit lacking, like I didn’t really get a clear sense of who each character was deep down; I couldn’t tell their voices apart in my head, even as I was reading through their different POVs. They just never really came to life for me.
I did finish the book because I wanted to see how it ended, but I definitely enjoyed the first quarter more than the last three quarters. And this is not to dissuade anyone from reading it, because I think some people will definitely enjoy it! Like I said, the plot itself was definitely intriguing, but ultimately for me it just fell a bit flat.
I did finish the book because I wanted to see how it ended, but I definitely enjoyed the first quarter more than the last three quarters. And this is not to dissuade anyone from reading it, because I think some people will definitely enjoy it! Like I said, the plot itself was definitely intriguing, but ultimately for me it just fell a bit flat.
January 10, 2025
4.5 leaning
rlly wished the last act of the book was expanded on thoroughly rather than jumps in time
corruption and unregulated power and their affect on individuals and families felt like the crux of the book but felt like it was only explored in the end, thought it did a pretty good job of doing so
gr8 mystery/thriller w significant tie-ins to real world events and state of south korean corruption
rlly wished the last act of the book was expanded on thoroughly rather than jumps in time
corruption and unregulated power and their affect on individuals and families felt like the crux of the book but felt like it was only explored in the end, thought it did a pretty good job of doing so
gr8 mystery/thriller w significant tie-ins to real world events and state of south korean corruption
January 23, 2024
this was a neat look at how much we really know each other, and i thought the way michell approached unraveling the mystery was compelling and interesting. i was a little nervous because i'm not huge on motherhood books, and there were some parts that i felt distanced from because of that, i did like this a lot and definitely see myself re-reading it
July 20, 2023
Very Glass Hotel-esque
July 23, 2023
Kept my interest.
Was a bit confusing at times with all the jumping back and forth in time.
Thanks to Goodreads for the advance copy.
Was a bit confusing at times with all the jumping back and forth in time.
Thanks to Goodreads for the advance copy.
July 24, 2023
3.5⭐
February 17, 2024
I was pleasantly surprised by this book! The setting is a time and country I haven't read as many books about. I enjoyed the different perspectives and the twists that the book took you through. Would recommend!
April 22, 2024
Can’t get through this. 🥱
July 12, 2023
this book felt like watching puzzle pieces fall into place. i loved it.
not at all what i expected from first impressions, but turned out to be a truly thrilling, un-put-downable novel. everything was interconnected and although i was able to predict much of the twists and convoluted family ties, that didn't take away from the overall plot for me.
the characters elicited real intrigue from me as a reader and i think that they propelled the already filled-to-the-brim plot. a lot was happening at times and it was hard for me to keep it all straight, but that's my own fault as a reader, not the fault of the book.
i think this book would make an immaculate a24 film. it reads so cinematically, i could see everything play out in my head.
i was also sooo excited to get this novel as an arc through one world books!! so fun.
all in all, a verrrry well written, interesting, and compulsively readable read.
not at all what i expected from first impressions, but turned out to be a truly thrilling, un-put-downable novel. everything was interconnected and although i was able to predict much of the twists and convoluted family ties, that didn't take away from the overall plot for me.
the characters elicited real intrigue from me as a reader and i think that they propelled the already filled-to-the-brim plot. a lot was happening at times and it was hard for me to keep it all straight, but that's my own fault as a reader, not the fault of the book.
i think this book would make an immaculate a24 film. it reads so cinematically, i could see everything play out in my head.
i was also sooo excited to get this novel as an arc through one world books!! so fun.
all in all, a verrrry well written, interesting, and compulsively readable read.
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