Everything Asian: A Novel [Hardcover]

Sung J. Woo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 14, 2009

You're twelve years old. A month has passed since your Korean Air flight landed at lovely Newark Airport. Your fifteen-year-old sister is miserable. Your mother isn't exactly happy, either. You're seeing your father for the first time in five years, and although he's nice enough, he might be, well--how can you put this delicately?--a loser.

You can't speak English, but that doesn't stop you from working at East Meets West, your father's gift shop in a strip mall, where everything is new.

Welcome to the wonderful world of David Kim.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this charming tale of family, community and the struggle for understanding, young Korean immigrant David Kim learns to acculturate to a new American life. After five years on their own in Seoul, 12-year-old David, his big sister and mother reunite with his father in Oakbridge, N.J. Now known as Harry, David's father has a gift shop in a rundown strip mall called Peddlers Town. Though told largely by a grown-up David, some chapters switch to a third-person voice to examine other characters, including members of the Kim family and the other store owners at Peddler's Town (including an American with a cross-dressing son and a down-on-his-luck detective). Woo eschews immigrant clichés to focus on complicated familial relationships and surprising, sympathetic characters; alternating between humor and melancholy, Woo's text strikes a true chord while drawing readers into its strange, strip-mall world. (Apr.)
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From Booklist

Newly arrived in the States from Korea in the early 1980s, Dae Joon, 12, does not know his dad and does not want to. Father left five years ago to make a home for his family in New Jersey. Now Dae Joon (“David” in America) and his older sister must adapt to a new world, working after school in Dad’s Asian gift store in the shabby Peddlers Town mall, attending ESL classes with their embarrassing parents, and discovering secrets and betrayal. Told in sharp, immediate vignettes, mostly from the boy’s viewpoint, this debut novel captures the contemporary immigration struggle, but it is also an elemental family drama of fury and tenderness, affecting all the characters. Dae Joon’s mother cannot speak the language and remains angry that her husband left her behind so long. But what about Dae Joon’s loneliness? Woo also shows the ironic satisfactions that come with speaking a second language: the joy of insulting locals to their faces without their understanding. A great addition to the titles listed in Booklist’s “Core Collection: The New Immigration Story” (August 2005). --Hazel Rochman

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; First Edition edition (April 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312538855
• ISBN-13: 978-0312538859
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,350,032 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

SUNG J. WOO's short stories and essays have appeared in The New York Times, McSweeney's, and KoreAm Journal. His first novel, Everything Asian, has received praises from the Christian Science Monitor, Kirkus, and Publishers Weekly. His short film was an audience choice screening of the NYC Downtown Short Film Festival 2008. A graduate of Cornell University with an MFA from New York University, he lives in Washington, New Jersey.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quite Refreshing, May 17, 2009

By 

Maryam (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Everything Asian: A Novel (Hardcover)

While witty and entertaining, this debut novel also offers readers a heartfelt understanding of an array of characters making up a small strip- mall community in suburban New Jersey. The main emphasis of the novel is on the Kims, a Korean family of immigrants who manage 'East Meets West,' an oriental themed store. The majority of excerpts in the novel are told from the viewpoint of the innocent, young, and patient David Kim who bears his sister's moodiness and his father's empty promises with quite straightforward and honest curiosity. Kim's genuine narratives are quite refreshing. He doesn't sugarcoat his experiences; he tells them as they are. The Kims, like any other family, are dysfunctional at times, and reading through a multitude of experiences (some serious and others hilarious), you come to love the Kim family, flaws and all. A great read!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the time to read, laugh and savor, July 10, 2009

By 

A. Sloane "Book crazy" (Hoboken, NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Everything Asian: A Novel (Hardcover)

I thoroughly enjoyed Sung Woo's book. The world of young David in Everything Asian is a real delight to read. David's views on his new life in New Jersey are spot on for anyone who was not born in the U.S. and the other characters come to life in each chapter that is devoted to their own stories. I found the book to be lighthearted in many ways but at the same time, it dealt with some important passages in life. David's sense of humor and pathos is so palpable and real. I highly recommend spending the time to read Sung Woo's book. I don't think you will be disappointed.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an enjoyable story for all cultures, July 2, 2009

By 

Shepherds rule "Linda" (NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Everything Asian: A Novel (Hardcover)

Bravo to Sung J. Woo on this entertaining novel!
Being an avid fan of murder, mystery, and suspense, this is not the type book that I would typically choose to read. Occasionally I venture into a very different genre and, in this case, I am very happy I did.
Everything Asian is an easy read. This young author exhibits great talent in weaving the complexities of the Kim's family dynamics in what appears on the surface to be a relatively mundane existence.
I particularly enjoyed the way the relationship between brother and sister was depicted. The array of emotions and the unique bond shared between siblings proves to be a common thread of all cultures.
Along with the differences among mankind comes a unique commonality - this is the message I took from this book.
Another strong suit of this author is the way he interjects humor into his work. It's delightful.
As the story progressed, I found myself developing an attachment to the characters, rooting for their success. One cannot help but grow fond of David. And despite his human frailties, the father eventually elicited my empathy in the end.
Although this novel is about the trials and tribulations of an Asian family immigrating to America as seen through the eyes of a young boy, the story transcends cultural boundaries.
I am truly looking forward to the release of the next book by Sung J. Woo.