The Eyes Are the Best Part

In this story, food plays an integral part in the plot and how Ji-won understands the connection to her Korean culture and her family. What traditions does your family or community have relating to food? If Ji-won’s mother invited you to dinner, would you eat a fish eye?

Do you consider Ji-won to be a reliable narrator? What details or inconsistencies suggest that she may not be truthful in her recounting of the story?

Interpersonal relationships are an important part of this novel. Which of Ji-won’s relationships did you find most compelling, and why?

One concept explored in the book is palja, a Korean word meaning fortune, destiny, or fate. How did Ji-won perceive her parents’ palja, and how did their past experiences and traumas impact her?

Through Ji-won’s eyes, we experience how men treat women like herself, her family, and her friend Alexis. How do you interpret the different ways that these women experience racism and sexual objectification?

The novel also explores issues of identity, belonging, and cultural heritage. Were there any moments that resonated with you and your own personal experiences? How does this book measure against stereotypes that we see in our own lives about our communities?

Did you find any aspects of the story to be absurd or humorous? If so, how were they juxtaposed with more serious or dramatic elements?

Many of the characters resonate on an allegorical level. What do you think Ji-won, her parents, Geoffrey, and George represent? Do you think any of the other characters speak to an allegorical level and why?

The Ji-won we see at the end of the book is in some ways very different from her character at the beginning. What changes are most noticeable and compelling to you? Do you think Ji-won’s final actions are justified?

How do you see the characters’ lives unfolding beyond the ending of the novel?