Tuesday, September 12, 2017, 18:15 - 20:30
Pachinko is a tour de force following one Korean family through the generations, beginning in early 1900s Korea with Sunja, the prized daughter of a poor yet proud family, whose unplanned pregnancy threatens to shame and ruin them.
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Min Jin Lee |
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Deserted by her lover, Sunja is saved when a young tubercular minister offers to marry and bring her to Japan. So begins a sweeping saga of an exceptional family in exile from its homeland and caught in the indifferent arc of history.
Through desperate struggles and hard-won triumphs, its members are bound together by deep roots as they face enduring questions of faith, family, and identity. Struggling to find their place in Japanese society, Sunja's family finds work in the pachinko business and attempts to build their lives in a new land.
While writing Pachinko, Min Jin (who herself was born in Korea before moving to the United States) lived in Japan with her husband and son and interviewed dozens of ethnic Koreans about their family histories.
Min Jin Lee's Pachinko is a national bestseller, a New York Times Editor's Choice and an Indie Next Great Reads. Lee's debut novel Free Food for Millionaires was a national bestseller, a NYT Editor's Choice, and a Top 10 Novels of the Year for The Times (London), NPR's Fresh Air and USA Today.
Min Jin Lee will appear with Motoko Rich, the Tokyo Bureau Chief of the New York Times.
The library committee is offering a cocktail party – "Meet the Author" – starting at 6:15 pm, followed by dinner at 6:45 pm (Menu : Grilled Chicken with Rock Salt and Lime, served with Sautéed Young Corn, Andes Potato, Broccoli, Eggplant and Tomato / Seasonal Salad / Bread / Fruits / Coffee or Tea.) Drinks can be ordered on a cash basis from the bar in the room. Book Break charges are 2,100yen / 3,500yen (members / non-members) per person. The member price is applicable to members' guests.
To FCCJ members: Sign up now at the reception desk (03-3211-3161) or on the FCCJ website. To help us plan proper seating and food preparation, please reserve in advance, preferably by noon of the day of the event. Those without reservations will be turned away once available seats are filled. Reservations cancelled less than 24 hours in advance will be charged in full.
To non-members: Sign up now at the reception desk by mail (front@fccj.or.jp). Please reserve and pay in advance by Thursday, September 7th. Those without reservations will be turned away once available seats are filled. No refund is available unless event is cancelled for the reasons on our part.
(The talk will be in English)
