The Apology

By: Jimin Han

Narrated by: Kathleen Kim

This “sweeping intergenerational saga" tells the story of a pampered and defiant South Korean matriarch thrust into the afterlife from which she seeks a second chance to make amends (Kirstin Chen)—and fights off a tragic curse that could devastate generations to come.

In South Korea, a 105-year-old woman receives a letter. Ten days later, she has been thrust into the afterlife, fighting to head off a curse that will otherwise devastate generations to come.

Hak Jeonga has always shouldered the burden of upholding the family name. When she sent her daughter-in-law to America to cover up an illegitimate birth, she was simply doing what was needed to preserve the reputations of her loved ones. How could she have known that decades later, this decision would return to haunt her—threatening to tear apart her bond with her beloved son, her relationship with her infuriatingly insolent sisters, and the future of the family she has worked so hard to protect?

Part ghost story and part family epic, The Apology is an incisive tale of sisterhood and diaspora, reaching back to the days of Japanese colonialism and the Korean War, and told through the singular voice of a defiant, funny, and unforgettable centenarian.

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©2023 Jimin Han (P)2023 Little, Brown & Company

Critic reviews

"What does it mean to be the keeper of the stories? What does it mean to be left behind? The Apology shows Jimin Han's talents as a skillful storyteller, interweaving questions of sisterhood and separation, generational secrets and ancestral love, through a singular and unforgettable centenarian voice."—Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers

“Like magic, this book is at once a page-turning mystery, a supernatural odyssey, a family saga, and a Korean melodrama. Count me forever among Han’s audience.”—Matthew Salesses, author of The Sense of Wonder and Craft in the Real World

"What a superb story this is, unweaving the tangle of family history—and the wrongheaded honor that has walled out love—as this remarkable novel moves from the unguessable to the expansively imagined. It’s a maze of leaps—across boundaries beyond the known—as one woman grapples with the impossible question of how wrongs can be righted. A memorable and wonderfully original book."—Joan Silber, author of Secrets of Happiness

How young the voice actor was

I didn't love how young the narrator sounded. I didn’t think it matched with the main character being 107 years old. so because she sounded so young, it took me a while to get into it.

Funny, Poignant, and Mystical

From the jump, the story was engrossing. Strong, beautiful imagery and female voices throughout. The narrator's character voices and tone were a delight to hear.

Unusual and intriguing Premise

Kept me intrigued. I enjoyed the ensemble of characters. The narrater was very good at assigning all of them different voices and characteristics.

A little Slow

At times this story was a bit slow. I might not have found it such if I was not listening in audible. Overall I enjoyed it however and it kept me engaged until the end.

Made me think

The main character eats all and looks after herself and her families’ reputation. At 105 she enters the spirit life and realizes that she made some significant mistakes. The story addresses these and I found it to move along at a good speed. It also has made me wonder about the spirit life. Absorbing read!

Thought provoking and full of possibilities

We have all made choices we thought we needed to. This book is thought provoking and tickles the depths of my conscience. Hopefully everyone will do the best they can with this life.

The whole book was a stretch!!

I was hoping for a coming of age family drama type book. Instead, I got unrealistic realms of an relatable, alternative universe.
Just my opinion

Bickering 100+ year old sisters

Negative negative negative energy between these old ladies—kept waiting for some peace and life wisdom, but couldn’t listen to more than 3 hours, until I said “enough”!