If You Live in a Small House

by Sandra Park

It s the early 1950s in Hawai i. A multi-generation Korean-American family crams into a house in the Coconut Grove suburb of windward O ahu, across the mountains from Honolulu. With too many in too small a space, dreams either shrink-to-fit or seek escape father recalls his wartime romance, sister-in-law Gloria yearns for a husband, son Ezra sows the seeds of homesickness even as he plots to leave home. Sandra Park s novella captures the pent-up desires of family and an endless fascination with strangers. House, island, world it s a story that sings like a radio tune, familiar to anyone struck by longing and homesickness.

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Sandra Park (b. 1948) was born and raised in Hawaii. She teaches in the San Francisco Bay Area, a long-time resident with her husband and three children. IF YOU LIVE IN A SMALL HOUSE is her first book, an excerpt winning an Iowa Fiction Award runner-up. Her poetry and fiction have appeared in the St. Petersburg Review, The Iowa Review, New American Writing, Five Fingers Review, and HONOLULU STORIES. She received fellowships abroad to Prague and St. Petersburg. You can find out more on Hawaii, teaching, and writing at www.sandratpark.com."

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sandra Park's novel takes place in Hawaii, and tells the story of Korean immigrants growing up on the island. As the title suggests, it is about multi-generations of family living under the same roof - and the book centers around the idea of space - why do we need it and how do we get it - from our families, from our pasts, and from ourselves. Taking place on a small island, such as Hawaii, I felt that it all took place within the confines of this small confined space, and at times did give me a feeling of claustrophobia as I read. I enjoyed the novel - I tend to like books set in Hawaii - and I hadn't read much in the past about Korean-Americans on the islands. I did find the writing style a bit disjointed - it skipped around from character to charater and presented the story in a vignette style that I found frustrating at times. But, it was a good read for just getting a sense of a time and a place.

[Kristi Holmes Espineira · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave it four stars mostly for the luminous writing. This is not a traditional novel but rather a collection of linked stories and character sketches. I liked just going with the flow of the writing. And full disclosure: I know Sandra from several writing workshops years ago and always loved her writing!

[Kathleen Smith]

I really want to get this book somehow.