Skinship

Stories

By: Yoon Choi

Narrated by: Greta Jung, Intae Kim, Jennifer Kim, Sue Jean Kim, Raymond J. Lee, Keong Sim, Janet Song, Jennifer Yun

WINNER OF THE PEN/ROBERT W. BINGHAM PRIZE • LONGLISTED FOR THE STORY PRIZE • The breathtaking debut of an important new voice—centered on a constellation of Korean American families

“To encounter these achingly truthful, beautiful stories of newcomer Americans is like gazing up at the starry vault of a perfect night sky; it’s immediately dazzling and impressive, and yet the closer and deeper you look, the more you appreciate the sheer countless brilliance.” —Chang-rae Lee, author of My Year Abroad

A long-married couple is forced to confront their friend's painful past when a church revival comes to a nearby town ... A woman in an arranged marriage struggles to connect with the son she hid from her husband for years ... A well-meaning sister unwittingly reunites an abuser with his victims.

Through an indelible array of lives, Yoon Choi explores where first and second generations either clash or find common ground, where meaning falls in the cracks between languages, where relationships bend under the weight of tenderness and disappointment, where displacement turns to heartbreak.

Skinship is suffused with a profound understanding of humanity and offers a searing look at who the people we love truly are.

Phenomenal The Author for me is a amalgam ofChech

Chechov Dostoyevski Murakami and Pico Iyer I thought I wrote more than fifteen words not quite it looks like Title does not count😜
👍😍

Intimate stories to remind us how much we share.

I was unexpectedly captivated by the stories in this collection. The book was recommended by Maureen Corrigan on the Fresh Air podcast so I gave it a try. In spite of my having almost no connection with Korean culture, the lives of these characters seemed relatable and the descriptions and thoughts drew me into the past, present, and sometimes, the imagined future of my new acquaintences. I especially liked "Map of the Simplified World" and "The Art of Losing." These were not the same stories Corrigan highlighted so there is much here for everyone.

I took one star off "performance" only because in the first one or two stories the characters sounded so completely American with no hint of accent that they seemed miscast. In hindsight this was perhaps intentional. Maybe a re-listen would change my mind.

This selection was well worth my monthly Audible credit. Try it!

Wow.

Beautifully written…beautifully read. From tales friends have told this portrays so well the flavor of Korean lives lived in the US. Enjoyed more and more the longer I read.

My favorite from this year!

This is one of the most beautifully written books of our time. I can’t say enough good things about it!

Masterful Writing

Truly masterfully written. The details…the very specific choices the author made makes each story so realistic. I have somehow found that I relate to these characters. Like I’ve stepped into their heads! I get so immersed in each short story that I’m sad when each is over. I think each short story could be expanded into a book.