Ostensibly, this is a missing person mystery: a father goes missing from a Korean-American family (wife, three children). What elevates this story is a unique point-of-view, emphasizing the family impact. Why do people do and say what they do? For a family in crisis, there are many discussions on cognitive psychology. What if suspicion falls on the youngest son who is non-verbal because of autism and Angelman Syndrome? Questions of loss, language and the expectations and assumptions regarding communication abound. Finally, the ending is somewhat enigmatic, as is real life.
Tag: Angie Kim
Miracle Creek – Angie Kim
Simply put, this is a great book. On one level, it is a court room thriller – a woman is accused of killing two people, one of whom is her severely autistic son. There is an immigrant family from Korea who experience subtle racism: forced charity, politely understanding actions. There are the relationships between parents and children with all the range of emotions from love to anger. And there is the legal drama of shifting suspicions, compounded by secrets and lies, unintended consequences of (good) people’s mistakes. White lies are defined as answers that are technically untrue but serve a greater good. Just brilliant storytelling.
What David Read 