Minbak: A Novel
Feb 2027 · Sold by St. Martin's Press
Ebook
288
Pages
family_home
Eligible
info
infoThis book will become available on February 16, 2027. You will not be charged until it is released.
About this ebook
"A beautifully written and gorgeous novel." —Marjan Kamali, New York Times bestselling author of The Lion Women of Tehran
Minbak (n.) a lodging in a private home
Korea, 1985: Hana Park's future is bright. A star student and beloved daughter, she dreams of a life beyond working at her family's local minbak. After a devastating encounter with a foreign guest, Hana flees Korea's dictatorship for London to capture the future she so desperately desires, leaving her heartbroken mother Youngja to pick up the pieces.
London, 2008: When her husband dies unexpectedly in the midst of the global financial crisis, Hana is left with a pile of debt and no way to pay it off. With her teenage daughter Ada and a declining Youngja relying on her, she has no choice but to move her family into one bedroom and open the rest of their home to paying guests as a minbak.
As tragedy brings the three women together, old tensions surface, and the family's long-hidden secrets threaten to erupt. With no one to turn to but each other, Hana, Youngja, and Ada must confront their complex history, crossing continents and generations to find truth, forgiveness, and compassion.
Minbak (n.) a lodging in a private home
Korea, 1985: Hana Park's future is bright. A star student and beloved daughter, she dreams of a life beyond working at her family's local minbak. After a devastating encounter with a foreign guest, Hana flees Korea's dictatorship for London to capture the future she so desperately desires, leaving her heartbroken mother Youngja to pick up the pieces.
London, 2008: When her husband dies unexpectedly in the midst of the global financial crisis, Hana is left with a pile of debt and no way to pay it off. With her teenage daughter Ada and a declining Youngja relying on her, she has no choice but to move her family into one bedroom and open the rest of their home to paying guests as a minbak.
As tragedy brings the three women together, old tensions surface, and the family's long-hidden secrets threaten to erupt. With no one to turn to but each other, Hana, Youngja, and Ada must confront their complex history, crossing continents and generations to find truth, forgiveness, and compassion.
"A beautifully written and gorgeous novel." —Marjan Kamali, New York Times bestselling author of The Lion Women of Tehran
Minbak (n.) a lodging in a private home
Korea, 1985: Hana Park's future is bright. A star student and beloved daughter, she dreams of a life beyond working at her family's l...
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About the author
ELA LEE’s debut novel Jaded was published in 2024, and was an Amazon Best Fiction Book of the Year. Lee has been named a Spotify Breakout Author and has also been selected for Forbes 30 under 30, Class of 2025. A graduate of Oxford and a former lawyer, she lives in London with her partner and their mini Aussie, Bo. Minbak is her second novel.
ELA LEE’s debut novel Jaded was published in 2024, and was an Amazon Best Fiction Book of the Year. Lee has been named a Spotify Breakout Author and has also been selected for Forbes 30 under 30, Class of 2025. A graduate of Oxford and a former lawyer, she lives in London with her partner and the...
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