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If I Had Your Face
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Frances Cha, Sue Jean Kim, Ruthie Ann Miles, Jeena Yi
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
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If I Had Your Face
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Publisher's Summary
A riveting debut novel set in contemporary Seoul, South Korea, about four young women making their way in a world defined by impossible standards of beauty, after-hours room salons catering to wealthy men, ruthless social hierarchies, and K-pop mania
“Powerful and provocative...a novel about female strength, spirit, resilience—and the solace that friendship can sometimes provide.” (The Washington Post)
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Time, NPR, Esquire, Bustle, BBC, New York Post, InStyle
Kyuri is an achingly beautiful woman with a hard-won job at a Seoul “room salon”, an exclusive underground bar where she entertains businessmen while they drink. Though she prides herself on her cold, clear-eyed approach to life, an impulsive mistake threatens her livelihood.
Kyuri’s roommate, Miho, is a talented artist who grew up in an orphanage but won a scholarship to study art in New York. Returning to Korea after college, she finds herself in a precarious relationship with the heir to one of the country’s biggest conglomerates.
Down the hall in their building lives Ara, a hairstylist whose two preoccupations sustain her: an obsession with a boy-band pop star, and a best friend who is saving up for the extreme plastic surgery that she hopes will change her life.
And Wonna, one floor below, is a newlywed trying to have a baby that she and her husband have no idea how they can afford to raise in Korea’s brutal economy.
Together, their stories tell a gripping tale at once unfamiliar and unmistakably universal, in which their tentative friendships may turn out to be the thing that ultimately saves them.
What the critics say
“The chapters alternate among the women, each one breathing new life into the old chestnut, ‘You never know what goes on behind closed doors.’ . . . Take a closer look and you’ll find the sisterhood at the heart of this ambitious book. It’s the scaffolding—and also, occasionally, the wrecking ball.”—The New York Times Book Review
“[Cha] has a biting wit and an eye for absurd glitz. . . . Ultimately, female friendship bolsters precarious fortunes in this gripping novel—compelling readers to consider what remains after beauty fades.”—O: The Oprah Magazine
“An enthralling tale about the weight of old traumas, economic disparity and the restoring power of friendship . . . [A] powerful debut.”—People
What listeners say about If I Had Your Face
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- maria juliana gonzalez
- 2024-02-04
Loved it
Really enjoyed this book, reminded me friendships and youth. Recommend it to anyone who likes simple but insightful stories.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ursa
- 2020-06-15
Beautiful Debut Novel About Young Korean Women
I really enjoyed this book. I found the writing clean, pretty, precise. I also appreciated that though the novel was written from the perspective of different women, some of whom were quite young, it depicted the layers of their existence, quest for self-knowledge, and experiences of womanhood with depth and complexity. The book also brings you into the world of a Korean sex worker and a visual artist. As someone who loves literature and visual arts equally, I appreciated the author's ability to capture the unique perspective of an artist, the obsession with colours, light, form. As an Iranian-Canadian who also hails from a culture obsessed with cosmetic surgery, I found the world of Korean women facing these issues fascinating and intriguing. Cha also presents a character who has a disability and must face adversity but does so with immense strength and empowerment. Very fresh and good writing.
Lastly, and perhaps this is becoming effusive, I loved the recording. The voices were crisp, clear and beautiful. There was a needed element of theatre and respect for Korean words in pronunciation that appealed to me. Loved this audio book.
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2 people found this helpful