By Nancy,
Angie Kim's Miracle Creek is a thoroughly contemporary take on the courtroom drama, drawing on the author's own life as a Korean immigrant, former trial lawyer, and mother of a real-life "submarine" patient. Both a compelling page-turner and an excavation of identity and the desire for connection,
Miracle Creek is a brilliant, empathetic debut from an exciting new voice.
I guess my first question is how far would we go to protect our family?
I’m pretty sure of our answer to this but thought I’d put it in anyway.
I also thought it would be interesting to think about some of the differences between American and Korean culture that the book explores?
How are these experienced by Matt and Janine?
By the Yoo family?
How are the Korean characters stereotyped by others?
How do they defy stereotype?
And finally, Autism is diagnosed on a spectrum with a wide variation in symptoms, as evidenced by TJ Kozlowski and Henry Ward. In Miracle Creek, the mothers of autistic children are portrayed as having a wide range of beliefs about treatments for their children.
Which of these treatments had you heard of?
Do we agree with Elizabeth that those with autism face a stigma that children with other physical or mental differences don't?
Did the book add to our understanding of this disorder, or did it influence your attitude toward parents with autistic children?
Hi Nancy,
ReplyDeleteHow is everyone in your world? Kids are well, I hope. Benjamin just started second grade. We are doing a hybrid of virtual and in person learning. So far it has been tolerable but once Lillian starts preschool in a week or so, it should become more of a nuisance. Work has gotten busier for both Franklin and I. The hospitals postponed as many patients as they could back in the spring and now people who can’t wait anymore are coming for care. It’s been interesting. I’ve been enjoying your travel pictures! I’m glad you have been able to go some beautiful places even with our current atmosphere.
I found this book very gripping. It was so hard to decide who was lying and about what. I did have a moment thinking “Sue would totally have skipped to the end.” I was a bit tempted myself, particularly since I was so initially sure that Elizabeth was guilty. I really didn’t like Elizabeth at first but by the end I felt I better understood her and her difficulties.
You ask about how far we would go to protect our families. I think Young is a way more selfless and noble character than I. I don’t think I would have let Mary go to jail if I could have stopped it, even if it meant lying. I don’t know if I would have had the strength to put what was right above my child. Young knew that she had to teach Mary the importance of consequence. It is an important life lesson that parents need to teach their children. I feel it is very difficult as a parent to walk that fine line between helping your child and holding them back. You want to care for them but you also need to make sure that they can be a strong independent individual. The balance is hard now with small children but probably even more difficult with grown ones.
I guess the biggest difference in culture we see in Miracle Creek is the family dynamic. In Korea, the Yoo family fell into societal norms of the mother staying at home while the father worked. When Mary and Young first moved to America, this “norm” changed instantly with Young being obligated to work. Also the man was the head of the household in Korea whereas in American spouses are typically equal partners. I can see how these opposing views could cause grief for a young child. Mary went from one style to the other which obviously led to conflict between her and Young. Mary viewed her life in Korea as a time of family and her life in America as a time of loneliness.
I don’t know or have interaction with too many people who have handicapped kids. It is easy enough to get frustrated with your children when they are behaving like children, I couldn’t imagine the level of stress a parent with a special needs child must face. We are human: we get tired, we get frustrated. These are normal feelings for us all. To have the added pressure of dealing day in and day out with someone whose cognitive level is particularly different must be terribly draining. I have a deep respect for people like Teresa. I felt the most empathy for her. The part in her story where she recounts the last interaction with healthy Rosa breaks my heart. I can think of so many times where I have told one child to wait while I was dealing with something involving the other and thought “what if this was the last interaction I had with him/her.”
Intense book, Nancy. Thank you. I look forward to your thoughts.
Much love,
Katie
Hi Katie,
ReplyDeleteI was glad to hear even though you guys are busy that you are all going OK. Ivars and I have both been trying to go out hiking in nature as much as possible, hence the pics, to try and calm our souls and distract ourselves from all the bad news. We have a road trip planned next week to some cool National Parks so get ready to be spammed out with more photos. Lots of isolated cabins and quiet hikes. We still cannot see the kids as the borders are still closed, I was sad last week when Sam had his twenty-eighth birthday and I couldn’t be with them all. But small potatoes compared to so many other problems in the world.
I found Miracle Creek as gripping as you, I really enjoyed it.
And I totally agree with you, I would not have been like Young and allowed Mary to go to prison. I think I would probably be more like Pak and eventually try to take the rap. It is so difficult to teach children consequence when all you want to do as a parent is protect them. I find it so hard even now with my adult children to simply listen to them and their problems without trying to jump in and try and fix everything my way. It is a habit formed over so many years while they were growing up.
I also found it difficult to work out who started the fire and probably was suspicious of all the characters at different times throughout the novel.
I really empathised with Young, and the many difficult situations she found she had to endure. I guess having been a mother of teenagers I think Ms Kim captured perfectly the angsts parents endure when nothing they do can seem right in their child’s eyes. I remember an incident when Gracie told me even the way her father breathed annoyed her!!! Sometimes you can not win haha.
Years ago I was a disability aide at a preschool, and cared for a number of autistic children, I was also a swim teacher specialising in people with disabilities and autistic kids where a part of that. It is extremely challenging work and I admired so much the parents of these children. As Miss Kim wrote, as with all people so many different parenting styles, all trying to do the very best by their kids and finding judgement within their peer group and the wider community.
I thought the character of Elizabeth was brilliant. Obviously dealing with her own inability to cope by trying to micro manage and exert total control over Henry’s life and losing the joy and love of her child and only when she starts to realise this and begin to allow herself to love and enjoy Henry is he taken from her so violently. I can understand her need to punish herself, by allowing people to think she was guilty of murder and finally take her own life.
The women in this story were all powerful and strong in their own way, I admire Ms Kim for that choosing to do that. The few male characters were either not present in their families lives, like Elizabeth of Teresa’s partners or selfishly weak like Matt. Even Pak was secretive and dishonest with Young.
Sorry I am late again with this, I will post up our next book soon. It is the last one suggested by Sue, so she will be once again in our thoughts.
Love to you all Nancy