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Crying in H Mart

Crying in H Mart is a 2021 memoir by Michelle Zauner, the singer and guitarist of Japanese Breakfast.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 26, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

Crying in H Mart is a 2021 memoir by Michelle Zauner, the singer and guitarist of Japanese Breakfast. It expands on her 2018 New Yorker essay of the same name and explores grief, Korean identity, family, and food after her mother’s death from cancer. The title refers to the H Mart grocery chain, which figures prominently in the book’s emotional and cultural themes.

Background

Crying in H Mart originated as a personal essay published in The New Yorker in 2018. Zauner later expanded it into a memoir that combines family history, cultural memory, and reflections on her life as a Korean-American musician.

Synopsis

The memoir follows Zauner’s relationship with her mother, including the impact of her mother’s cancer and death. It also explores how food, language, and Korean traditions shape her understanding of home and identity.

Themes

Major themes include grief, motherhood, belonging, and cultural inheritance. The book presents Korean food as a medium for love, memory, and connection across generations.

Publication and reception

The memoir was published in 2021 by Alfred A. Knopf and became a bestseller. It received strong critical attention and was widely discussed for its emotional portrayal of loss and identity.

Key facts

  • The book is Michelle Zauner’s debut book.
  • It was published in 2021 by Alfred A. Knopf.
  • It is a memoir centered on the death of Zauner’s mother, Chongmi.
  • The memoir links food and Korean cooking to memory, grief, and identity.
  • It grew out of Zauner’s 2018 essay in The New Yorker.
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Canadian context

The memoir has been widely read in Canada as a contemporary work of Asian-American/Korean diasporic literature and is relevant to Canadian readers interested in memoir, identity, and food culture.

Frequently asked questions

Who wrote Crying in H Mart?
It was written by Michelle Zauner, best known as the singer and guitarist of Japanese Breakfast.
What type of book is Crying in H Mart?
It is a memoir.
When was Crying in H Mart published?
It was published on April 20, 2021.
What is the book about?
It focuses on grief after the death of Zauner’s mother, along with Korean-American identity, family relationships, and food.
Why is it called Crying in H Mart?
The title refers to H Mart, a grocery chain that sells Korean and other Asian foods, which the author associates with her mother and heritage.
Was it originally an essay?
Yes. It expands on a 2018 New Yorker essay of the same name.

References

  1. Wikipedia — https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crying_in_H_Mart
    Supports: Author, publication date, publisher, genre, and origin from the New Yorker essay
  2. Audible — https://www.audible.com/blog/summary-crying-in-h-mart-by-michelle-zauner
    Supports: Memoir themes, grief, Korean cuisine, and origin from the 2018 essay
  3. Goodreads — https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54814676-crying-in-h-mart
    Supports: Synopsis, family and food themes, and Korean-American background
  4. SparkNotes — https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/crying-in-h-mart/summary/
    Supports: Opening premise about H Mart and the mother’s death