Kay's Lucky Coin Variety
by Ann Y. K. Choi
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Description
Mary, a Korean girl growing up with her brother above her parents' convenience store in 1980s Toronto, is caught between the traditional culture of her parents and her desire to be a Canadian.Tags
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Member Reviews
This is a remarkable book, the story of a young woman's struggle to understand herself and to establish her identity. Mary, a Korean girl who was named Yu-Rhee at birth, struggles to make her parents understand that she wants to be Canadian. Her parents have other ideas and try to match her up with a Korean suitor . . . even though Mary is in love with someone else. Ann Choi's writing is descriptive and evocative, bringing the world of Korean families in 1980's Toronto to life. A number of other reviewers have categorized this book as a "YA novel." It's not; it's a beautifully written novel that anyone could enjoy.
Kathleen Jones, author of Love Is the Punch Line
Kathleen Jones, author of Love Is the Punch Line
This book filled a reading challenge prompt about being linked to my favourite tv show. My daughter and I really like watching "Kim's Convenience Store" on CBC. It it's about a Korean family in Toronto who own a convenience store and live above it.
I ask really glad that it lead me to this book. It is absorbing. Mary's coming off age story is full of adventure, secrets and of course love. There were many times that I felt like yelling at her to not do that. And others I cheered her on.
I was disappointed that Ann Y.K. Choi has only written a couple of short stories so far. She is on my list to read her next novel.
I ask really glad that it lead me to this book. It is absorbing. Mary's coming off age story is full of adventure, secrets and of course love. There were many times that I felt like yelling at her to not do that. And others I cheered her on.
I was disappointed that Ann Y.K. Choi has only written a couple of short stories so far. She is on my list to read her next novel.
Mary Hwang and her brother and parents have immigrated from Korea to Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Hwang family lives above the family convenience store. The pressures placed on Mary to succeed and please her parents are considerable. Mary and her family struggle with traditional Korean culture and that of 1980s Canadian culture. A dark and interesting read. I felt that were too many tragedies in 275 pages for the story to be believable. On the plus side, the author does not dwell on the often shocking misfortunes that befall the family.
Recommended. 3.9 stars.
Recommended. 3.9 stars.
A compelling coming-of-age story that deals with racism, family pressure, assault, and big dreams. Beautifully-written, wonderful characters, and an unforgettable book. Highly recommended.
I really enjoyed this book and not just because I love reading about characters moving about Toronto (where I live).
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ThingScore 75
A composite of those women, and her own life, became the inspiration for Mary — or Yu-Rhee — the protagonist of Choi’s debut novel Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety, published by Simon & Schuster Canada. Mary, who lives above her parents’ convenience store, struggles with hormonally charged teenage emotions and experiences, but still must act like an adult, knowing very well that her first show more priority is always to her family’s business and livelihood — as her traditional mother never lets her forget...For those in the community, Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety will resonate in its accuracy and details, but for those who only head into their local convenience stores for milk and newspapers, the book is a revealing look into private lives. show less
added by vancouverdeb
It always amazes me when a debut novelist features predictable themes - maybe bordering on clichés - and still comes out with something extremely effective....There's a lot to like here. For one thing, it's a sharp snapshot of Toronto at the time: the just burgeoning Koreatown, U of T's huge, intimidating buildings, the track where sex workers plied their trade near Trinity Bellwoods, which show more made the neighbourhood more than a little sketchy....But the characters are believable, especially Mary's mother, who's loving but has a hard time expressing it, and the book has a powerful emotional core. Few Korean-Canadian novelists have been heard from so far, making Choi's book a welcome breath of fresh air. show less
added by vancouverdeb
Ideas of fate and luck are important to the novel – and so much luck is terrible. The novel reads up quickly, mostly propelled by one disaster after another. Violent assaults, robberies, shootings, suicide, domestic violence, attempted rape and an actual fiery explosion is a whole lot of action for a single novel, and the literary impact of these incidents is undermined by their frequency show more – it all becomes a melodramatic blur.
While such pacing will certainly appeal to younger readers, others will lament a lack of depth....Even with its flaws, Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety is the kind of book for which many have been hungering for too long. The novel’s greatest strength is showing that what looks like passiveness from the outside (a girl stuck in an unlocked cage) is actually Mary’s slow-but-sure plotting toward her ultimate liberation – her subversions must be subtle and within a certain framework.
Choi also nicely complicates Mary’s resolution about her difficult relationship with her mother – she learns to empathize with her, finds common ground and comes to appreciate how her mother has actually helped her realize her dreams show less
While such pacing will certainly appeal to younger readers, others will lament a lack of depth....Even with its flaws, Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety is the kind of book for which many have been hungering for too long. The novel’s greatest strength is showing that what looks like passiveness from the outside (a girl stuck in an unlocked cage) is actually Mary’s slow-but-sure plotting toward her ultimate liberation – her subversions must be subtle and within a certain framework.
Choi also nicely complicates Mary’s resolution about her difficult relationship with her mother – she learns to empathize with her, finds common ground and comes to appreciate how her mother has actually helped her realize her dreams show less
added by vancouverdeb
Author Information
3 Works 62 Members
Awards and Honors
Awards
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 2016-05
- People/Characters
- Mary Hwang; Josh Hwang; Joon-Ho
- Important places
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Dedication
- For my mother, who taught me that we create our own luck, my daughter Claire, who inspires me to learn and live in the moment, and in loving memory of Cathy, who showed me the value of friendship.
- First words
- I was behind the counter of our convenience store, Kay's Lucky Coin Variety, reading the Toronto Star when I heard tires screech and someone shouting obscenities.
- Blurbers
- Maclear, Kyo; Bock, Dennis; Chong, Denise
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 46
- Popularity
- 647,313
- Reviews
- 6
- Rating
- (4.36)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 3
- ASINs
- 1
