Chang-rae Lee

Korean born June Han has forged a life thousands of miles from her birthplace: she has built a business in New York, survived a husband, borne a child. But her past holds more secrets than she has ever been able to tell, and thirty years after her escape from war-ravaged Korea, the time has come for her to confront them.

Hardworking Franklin Hata is careful to never overstep his bounds and to always make his neighbors and customers feel comfortable, but when they learn of his forbidden affair with a Korean comfort woman, his carefully crafted reputation is destroyed.