Please Look After Mom
by Kyung-Sook Shin
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Some books don’t just tell a story – they hold up a mirror. Please Look After Mom is one of the most quietly devastating books I’ve read. It asks a question that seems simple: What happens when a mother disappears? But what it really explores is: What do we see when someone we’ve always counted on suddenly vanishes? And were we ever really looking at them at all?
Summary (Spoiler-Free)
The novel begins with a mother going missing in a crowded Seoul subway station. From there, the story unfolds through multiple perspectives: the daughter, the son, the husband, and the mother herself. Each voice reveals layers of memory, regret, misunderstanding, and love. It’s a portrait of a woman who was central to everyone’s life, yet perhaps fully known by no one.
My Take
This book gutted me in a quiet, lingering way. The shifting perspectives work so well because they expose how partial and self-serving our memories can be. Everyone in the family tells their story, but the mother remains slightly out of reach. That distance is the point.
It made me think not just about my own mother, but about how women – especially those in caregiving roles – are often expected to be invisible and selfless. And when they stop being available, even for a moment, the loss is profound.
Kyung-Sook Shin writes with restraint and clarity. There are no huge plot twists, no melodrama. Just the slow realization that someone you thought you knew was living a life you never fully saw. That kind of storytelling sticks with you.
Why You Should Read It
You want a book that will stay with you.
You appreciate layered family narratives and emotional complexity.
You want a deeper understanding of Korean cultural expectations around gender and family.
You’re not afraid of a little heartbreak.
If You Liked This, Try:
The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yōko Ogawa – for another quietly emotional story told with restraint
The Hen Who Dreamed of Flying by Sun-mi Hwang – allegorical but with similar emotional beats
Almond by Sohn Won-pyung – different tone but also explores emotional absence and inner worlds
Also by Kyung-Sook Shin
I Went to See My Father A quiet, reflective novel on memory, grief, and a daughter's search for understanding — another moving look at family and absence from one of Korea’s most beloved authors.
Final Thought
Please Look After Mom is about the things we realize too late. It’s tender, painful, and necessary – a reminder to see the people we love while we still can.
