Miracle Creek by Angie Kim Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux on April 16, 2019
Genres: Asian American, Fiction, Legal, Literary, Thrillers
Pages: 368
Format: Hardcover
Source: personal copy
Young and Pak Yoo run an experimental medical treatment chamber, known as the "Miracle Submarine," used to treat ailments like autism and infertility. when the Miracle Submarine explodes, the small suburban Virginia town is thrown into a tumultuous murder trial. The accused is the mother of one of the Yoo's patients, suddenly unable to join her son in the dive due to illness.
As the trial progresses, everyone's motives are questioned. Could a mother really go to this depth to rid herself of the responsibilities of parenting an autistic child. Were Young and Pak so desperate financially that they would do something so severe?
Alliances are formed, secrets are brought to the surface, all in an attempt to find the real culprit of this horrific crime.
Miracle Creek was my first selection as part of the Book of the Month program. When I was unable to secure a review copy in advance of publication, I knew this was the perfect opportunity to get my hands on a copy of a title that so many were raving about.
Authors often call on their own life experiences as source material for their writing. In Kim’s case, she uses her own experiences as a Korean immigrant, former trial lawyer, and mother of a “submarine” patient to draft this truly remarkable debut.
I wasn’t far into my read before I became captivated by what transpired. Told in two time periods, leading up to the explosion and the trial a year later, it’s nearly impossible to become invested in the characters and their fate. I found myself instantly forming my own alliances with the characters, in a large part fueled by rationale that would be proven inaccurate as the novel progressed. It’s a true example of how we often base our judgement of individuals based on the input of others, rather than waiting to form our own opinion.
Each chapter is from the perspective of the witnesses to the explosion. As the novel progresses, readers quickly understand that it’s nearly impossible to put full trust in anyone. Nearly everyone is holding back something that, to them, is irrelevant but ultimately has a huge impact on the fate of the trial. A key theme of this novel is how far parents will go to protect their children, the sacrifices we make in order to guarantee their well-being. This, too, is quite apparent as we follow the witnesses through the stages of the trial.
I was taken aback as the truth was revealed, never expecting the eventual outcome. It’s often cliche to refer to something as a”edge of your seat” thriller, but this one most certainly lives up to that description. I’ve already passed my copy on for others to read; I cannot wait for the paperback release so the book club I lead can discuss it!
All in all, a completely intense and mesmerizing read! Highly, highly recommended.
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