Synopses & Reviews
A deeply affecting and emotionally charged novel that explores the true meaning of beauty, family, home, and race, Translations of Beauty radiates with raw wit, heartache, and universal truths.
It not only reaffirms the unbreakable ties that bind all families but also lays bare the boundaries and pitfalls of the American dream.
Mia Yun, whose first novel was hailed by Kirkus Reviews as a superlative debut, maps the relationship of twin sisters Inah and Yunah from their early childhood in South Korea to growing up in Queens, New York. At the center of Translations of Beauty is the terrible childhood accident that disfigured Inah for life, and the overwhelming sadness and guilt Yunah feels at having been spared. It opens with Yunah, now twenty-eight, flying out to Italy to rescue Inah who, in her struggle to find her way, has drifted away from her family. Thrown together again after so much time, long-ago joys and heartaches are stirred, and the twins find their relationship tested as they are forced to confront unresolved issues.
It is the account of growing up in America as immigrant children, dealing with the painful reality of Inah's disfigured face and trying to find their individual identities while negotiating their relationship with each other; of their family's struggle to stay whole as years of collective struggles and colliding dreams and values take a toll on each of them and of its effort to find dignity amid the constant jockeying for respect, acceptance, and loyalty.
Peppered throughout this darkly poignant novel are colorful, vividly drawn, ethnically and socially diverse secondary characters: Uncle Shin, the loyal family man and avariciousbusinessman; Cousin Ki-hong, a rebellious KISS fan in his youth who gloats in domestic bliss as a married man; Auntie Minnie, an irrepressible, loud, and bawdy beautician; and, finally, Uncle Wilson, Aunt Minnie's African-American husband who divorces her to marry a woman of his own race.
Thought-provoking and uncommonly honest, this story of one Korean family's heartbreaking journey in America will resonate powerfully with every reader.
Review
"[A]n atmospheric and powerful work."
-- KoreAm Journal
Review
"[R]emarkable and playfully original."
-- Evergreen Review
Review
"[B]eautiful."
-- Booklist
Review
"It's time for Mia Yun's distinctive and enriching talent, rooted in a vision utterly new to our marveling eyes, to find the wider recognition it deserves."
-- Cynthia Ozick
Review
"[A] bittersweet tale about the meaning of race, kinship, and success."
-- The New York Times
Synopsis
Translations of Beauty maps the tender yet tumultuous relationship of twin sisters Inah and Yunah, from their early years in South Korea to their coming-of-age in Queens, New York. At the heart of the narrative -- told from Yunah's intimate, engaging point of view -- is an unforgettable event from their childhood: an accident that disfigured Inah for life, and the overwhelming sadness and guilt Yunah feels at having been spared. Now that Inah and Yunah are adults, each in search of her own identity while trying to remain true to traditional family values, they must find a way to negotiate their past and become the people they dare -- and dream -- to be.
Emotionally charged and thought-provoking, Translations of Beauty is an insightful saga of the immigrant experience that will resonate with all readers.
About the Author
Mia Yun was born and raised in South Korea. She received her Master's Degree in Creative Writing from City College of New York. Her first novel, House of the Winds, received wide critical acclaim, and she has lectured extensively at literary events and universities. She has also worked as a reporter, translator, and freelance writer, and she is currently the Korea correspondent for the Evergreen Review. She lives in New York City. Visit her website at <>.