THE MAGICAL LANGUAGE OF OTHERS A Memoir

Author E.J. Koh's solemn narration of this poignant story captures the language of mother-daughter relationships. Eun Ji is 15 when her parents go to South Korea for her father's job, leaving her in California with her older brother for five years. As she recounts her memories of this period, sparked by the letters that her mother wrote during their separation, Koh's fragile-sounding voice powerfully expresses Eun Ji's pain and her mother's guilt at leaving her young daughter. Koh's deliberate pace reflects the personal tragedies in the lives of family members, including the grandmother, along with Eun Ji's battle with depression. But the slowness of Koh's delivery can make the listener feel a bit dragged down, too. Overall, though, Koh's narration of this lyrical dance of language and emotion is haunting and deeply moving. M.F. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2020]