The Evening Hero

Dr. Yungman Kwak is a Korean immigrant who has built a life in America, but a letter threatens to expose his lie. He must choose to hide his secret or confess and potentially lose everything he has built. Evening Hero is a soulful, melodic, rhapsodic novel about a man looking back at his life and asking big questions about what is lost and what is gained when immigrants leave home for new shores.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 448 pages
Publication date: 22 June 2023
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Dr. Yungman Kwak, a Korean immigrant pursuing the American dream, faces a challenging decision as he confronts the secrets of his past. With the hospital abruptly closing, his wife refusing to spend time with him, and his son investing in a struggling health start-up, Yungman's life is thrown into chaos. He must choose between hiding his secret from his family and friends or confessing and potentially losing everything he has built. As he reflects on his life, he questions the assumptions upon which his life is built, including the American dream, the failure of the healthcare system, racism, flawed infrastructure, and his absence in history.

"Evening Hero" is a "moving and captivating" novel (Cathy Park Hong, New York Times bestselling author of Minor Feelings) that delves into the complexities of immigration and the sacrifices immigrants make to pursue their dreams. Toggling between the past and the present, Korea and America, the novel is a "soulful, melodic, rhapsodic" exploration of a man looking back at his life and asking profound questions about what is lost and what is gained when immigrants leave home for new shores.

Dr. Yungman Kwak, in the twilight of his life, has dedicated fifty years to serving the women and babies of the small rural Minnesota town he calls home. This was the life he longed for, the American dream he had immigrated from Korea after the Korean War. However, his life is built on a lie, and one day, a letter arrives that threatens to expose it.

Yungman's world is turned upside down as the hospital abruptly closes, his wife refuses to spend time with him, and his son is busy investing in a struggling health start-up. He faces a choice: hide his secret from his family and friends or confess and risk losing everything he has built. As he grapples with this decision, Yungman begins to question the very foundations of his life. He questions the American dream, the failure of the healthcare system, the racism perpetuated by patients and neighbors, the flawed infrastructure of the town, and his absence in history.

"Evening Hero" is a "soulful, melodic, rhapsodic" novel that explores the complexities of immigration, the sacrifices immigrants make, and the challenges they face in pursuing their dreams. Through the character of Dr. Yungman Kwak, the novel sheds light on the struggles and triumphs of immigrants and their families, highlighting the importance of honesty, resilience, and the pursuit of a better life.

Weight: 364g
Dimension: 140 x 213 x 32 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781476735085