“[An] intricate, touching novel…The tone is lyrical and at times mystical…poignant.” —Foreword Reviews
“A stirring portrait of a young Korean French adoptee who, on the precipice of motherhood, is compelled to reach back into her past to search for her origins and the meaning of her Korean given name. A wise and elegant novel that explores belonging, memory, and the heartbreaking, complex history of international adoption in Korea with tenderness and grace.” —Gina Chung, author of Sea Change and Green Frog
“As much a portrait of the adoptee experience as a testament to ‘other mothers’ and chosen family, Simple Heart is by no means a simple story. In tracing an adoptee’s search for those who once cared for her, it exposes the ways militarism, racism, and patriarchy dismantle even the most tender bonds. In the end, we are led to a universal truth: that it is our care for others that gives this fleeting life meaning. Profound and moving, this short novel is not one I will easily forget.” —Hannah Michell, author of Excavations
“What does it mean to belong—to a place, to a name, to yourself? Simple Heart is an extraordinary novel, written with unsparing clarity and luminous tenderness. Cho Haejin bears witness to lives marked by abandonment and silence, yet sustained by the smallest acts of kindness. The result is storytelling at once devastating and consoling—unsettling and unforgettable in its revelations about what it means to live on—and to belong. Deeply resonant. Utterly moving.” —Yeji Y. Ham, author of The Invisible Hotel
“Decades after being abandoned by her mother and taken in by a stranger, only to be given up for adoption overseas, Nana returns to South Korea to cast light on her origins. Far from a simple heart, Nana is possessed of a restive, searching, lonely, sometimes bitter but ultimately munificent heart, from which springs the deepest questions of childhood, motherhood, womanhood, and personhood. Cho Haejin’s Simple Heart is a beautiful and intimate novel about all the ways family can be lost—and found.” —Jack Wang, author of The Riveter
“At its core, Simple Heart is a story of relationships—with ourselves, with family, and with strangers who may become friends, and even confidants. Cho’s vivid world-building pulls readers deep into the pages, immersing them in a journey that stirs fear and sorrow, yet blossoms into love, acceptance, and hope. Moving and resonant, Simple Heart connects readers to other worlds and experiences—anything but simple, and unforgettable at heart.” —Ann Y. K. Choi, author of All Things Under the Moon
“Simple Heart is an astonishingly tender story of lost and found families. The novel’s sharp clarity and quiet patience allow for memories, secrets, and hopes to blossom into profound self-knowledge. A moving work from a generous mind and a complex heart.” —Vinh Nguyen, author of The Migrant Rain Falls in Reverse
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