Eugenia Kim

Eugenia Kim writes historical fiction about Korean families divided by migration, political upheaval, and unequal access to memory. The Kinship Of Secrets follows sisters Inja and Miran after their parents leave Korea for the United States in 1948 and initially take only Miran with them. Inja remains with relatives through the Korean War, while Miran grows up in suburban America knowing her sister largely through family stories. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt brought out the American book in 2018, drawing on a separation within Kim's own family. Alternating viewpoints prevent either sister's experience from becoming the complete account. Material comfort does not erase Miran's uncertainty, and Inja's attachment to the relatives who raised her complicates the promise of reunion. Kim uses letters, remembered objects, and changing family explanations to show how affection can persist beside resentment. The novel therefore treats immigration not as one departure but as a long negotiation over who was protected, who was left, and how each person understands that choice.