Grief and Loss

An atmosphere of grief and loss permeates the memoir as Zauner recalls her mother's death from stage IV squamous-cell carcinoma. Chongmi was diagnosed with this disease when Zauner was 25, and she underwent two rounds of chemotherapy, which were unsuccessful. Zauner returned to her hometown of Eugene, Oregon to care for her mother during her illness, and she provides a candid account of the physical and emotional challenges of such an undertaking, from the terrible symptoms that plague Chongmi as she slowly succumbs, to the author's sadness over the things she would never get to experience with her mother.

Chongmi's death is particularly tragic to Zauner when it occurs because she and her mother have only just reconciled after years of intense conflict during Zauner's childhood and adolescence. They have become closer and bonded over their shared love of Korean food. When Chongmi decides to stop her...