Concerning My Daughter
Deep
Honest
Depressing

Concerning My Daughter

Kim Hye-jin2022
When a mother allows her thirty-something daughter to move into her apartment, she wants for her what many mothers might say they want for their child: a steady income, and, even better, a good husband with a good job with whom to start a family. But when Green turns up with her girlfriend, Lane, in tow, her mother is unprepared and unwilling to welcome Lane into her home. In fact, she can barely bring herself to be civil. Having centred her life on her husband and child, her daughter’s definition of family is not one she can accept. Her daughter’s involvement in a case of unfair dismissal involving gay colleagues from the university where she works is similarly strange to her. And yet when the care home where she works insists that she lower her standard of care for an elderly dementia patient who has no family, who travelled the world as a successful diplomat, who chose not to have children, Green’s mother cannot accept it. Why should not having chosen a traditional life mean that your life is worth nothing at all? In Concerning My Daughter, translated from Korean by Jamie Chang, Kim Hye-jin lays bare our most universal fears on ageing, death, and isolation, to offer finally a paean to love in all its forms.
Sign up to use

Reviews

Photo of Magnolia
Magnolia @kultusroh
4 stars
Jun 2, 2025
Photo of Andrea Morales
Andrea Morales@matchandrea
3 stars
Jun 28, 2024
Photo of den
den@biblee
4 stars
Sep 20, 2023
Photo of nindy
nindy@sinegardians
4 stars
Feb 15, 2023
Photo of Marion
Marion@mariorugu
3.5 stars
Feb 5, 2023
Convincing
Photo of Klara Hansen
Klara Hansen @klaraaaaa
4.5 stars
Jun 24, 2022
Photo of Betty
Betty@bethany_kathryn_ann
4 stars
May 22, 2022
Deep
Unique
Original
Easy read
Depressing
Contemplative
Photo of Viv
Viv@vivbooks
4 stars
Feb 25, 2024
Photo of Helen
Helen @helensbookshelf
4 stars
Jan 1, 2024
Deep
Honest
Offbeat
Depressing
Fascinating
Photo of Amy Keast
Amy Keast@ksnamy
5 stars
May 10, 2023
Honest
Touching
Contemplative
Unforgettable
Photo of Nina Saarinen
Nina Saarinen@creative_moodswings
3.2 stars
Aug 20, 2022
Photo of Kimberly Gajitos
Kimberly Gajitos@kimberlyriohh
4 stars
Jan 9, 2024

Highlights

Photo of Helen
Helen @helensbookshelf
This highlight contains a spoiler
Photo of Helen
Helen @helensbookshelf
Photo of N
N@smaragdinemondegreen
Page 161
Photo of Klara Hansen
Klara Hansen @klaraaaaa
Page 131
Photo of Klara Hansen
Klara Hansen @klaraaaaa
Page 65
This highlight contains a spoiler
Photo of Klara Hansen
Klara Hansen @klaraaaaa
Page 47
Photo of Betty
Betty@bethany_kathryn_ann
Page 2