I purchased this book for my own personal collection. I borrowed the audiobook from the library.
Publisher: Sarah Crichton Books / Macmillan Audio
Published: April 16, 2019
Summary:
A literary courtroom thriller about an immigrant family and a young single mother accused of killing her autistic son, Miracle Creek is a powerhouse debut about how far we’ll go to protect our families, and our deepest secrets.
In rural Miracle Creek, Virginia, Young and Pak Yoo run an experimental medical treatment device known as the Miracle Submarine. A pressurized oxygen chamber that patients enter for therapeutic “dives,” it’s also a repository of hopes and dreams: the dream of a mom that her child can be like other kids; the dream of a young doctor desperate to cure his infertility and save his marriage; the dream of the Yoos themselves, Korean immigrants who have come to the United States so their teenage daughter can have a better life.
When the oxygen chamber mysteriously explodes, killing two people, all these dreams shatter with it, and the ensuing murder trial uncovers imaginable secrets and lies. In Miracle Creek, Angie Kim takes a classic form—courtroom drama—and draws on her own experience as an immigrant, a lawyer, and the mother of a real-life “submarine” patient to turn it into something wholly original, unputdownable . . . real. This is a spellbinding novel by an exciting new voice.
My thoughts:
I had had this book on my tbr ever since it had come out, but of course I never got to it. After reading, and loving, Angie’s sophomore novel, Happiness Falls, a few months ago, I immediately moved this one up in my reading list…and I’m so glad I did…I loved this one, too!
Once again, I found myself completely swept up in the narrative that Angie Kim spins right from the beginning. This story, much like Happines Falls, is such a layered, complex story. I loved that there are so many different issues woven into it. Not only do we have the crime that is being explored here, but the issue of motherhood is addressed, what is it like to parent a child with special needs, as well as being an immigrant in a new country and all the challenges that that brings.
I loved the emotional journey this one took me on. The courtroom drama was so suspenseful and I loved that I couldn’t figure this mystery out. The twists and turns it takes kept me completely engaged and I really had no idea where this was headed. It was such a beautifully written, thought-provoking read and I loved it!
I’m glad I finally read this one and it has proved to me that Angie Kim belongs on my must-read author list. I cannot wait to see what comes next from this uber-talented author!
Audio thoughts:
This was narrated by Jennifer Lim and I thought she did a fantastic job bringing this story to life. Her pacing was spot on and she infused just the right amount of tension and emotion into her voice as needed.
