Older sister

More about the book

A beautiful and haunting memoir of kinship and culture rediscovered. Jenny Heijun Wills, born in Korea and adopted by a white family in Canada, reconnects with her roots in her late twenties. She returns to Seoul, spending four months with her biological family and other adoptees, navigating the complexities of their shared trauma and cultural disconnection. Wills discovers that her relationships with her family are fraught with challenges, reflecting the deep scars of separation. A decade later, she maintains close ties with her Korean family, who attended her wedding in Montreal, and her sister now lives in Canada. Remarkably, Jenny's return prompted her estranged birth parents to reunite. As she learns about her own story and that of her biological kin, Wills pieces together her fragmented life. The memoir delves into the intricacies of gender, class, race, and the relationships among Korean women—sisters, mothers, daughters, and grandmothers. Through visceral, lyrical prose, it explores the painful ripple effects of a child's removal from their family and the potential for healing through struggle and forgiveness.