Translations of Beauty

By Mia Yun

Book Overview

Translations of Beauty maps the tender yet tumultuous relationship of twin sisters Inah and Yunah, from their early years in South Korea to their coming-of-age in Queens, New York. At the heart of the narrative -- told from Yunah's intimate, engaging point of view -- is an unforgettable event from their childhood: an accident that disfigured Inah for life, and the overwhelming sadness and guilt Yunah feels at having been spared. Now that Inah and Yunah are adults, each in search of her own identity while trying to remain true to traditional family values, they must find a way to negotiate their past and become the people they dare -- and dream -- to be.
Emotionally charged and thought-provoking, Translations of Beauty is an insightful saga of the immigrant experience that will resonate with all readers.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 074348357X
• ISBN13: 9780743483575
• Release Date: June 2005
• Publisher: Atria Books
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.9" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Beautifully Written

I usually avoid Asian-American fiction as they are too similar in nature and too full of cliches. However, I read Mia Yun's poetically written House of the Winds and was hooked. I knew I had discovered a remarkable writer. Her new book, Translations of Beauty, explores the lives of two sisters, one horribly damaged. Once again, it is beautifully, even poetically written, always willing to take chances to arrive at painful truths and always avoiding cliches. Highly recommended!

New Immigrant Classic

I had not heard of this novel or author when I saw the book on a list of "new immigrant classics" in a special New York Times feature on immigration, which is my area of study. And I must say that I agree that it shares something with the classics I love: that powerful, intangible that hits you and lingers after you finish the last word and makes you want to read it again. While ostensibly focused on the tribulations of a family of Koreans who immigrate to New York, the author has successfully transcended the genre and has provided a compelling and nuanced portrait of family relationships. Beautifully written and very highly recommended.

A novel of rare beauty

This is a novel of rare beauty which lingers in your mind long after you turn the last page. Whether in Korea, Italy or the immigrant mecca of Flushing, New York, Mia Yun offers the reader an impeccable and immediate sense of place. Written with subtle, comic and tragic touches, this palpably moving story of Korean-born twin sisters who immigrate to New York as small children explores many important issues such as self-identity, racial prejudice and the fleeting nature of beauty. I enjoyed it tremendously. I am very eager to read this novel again as I feel there are more hidden treasures to discover.

A Wonderful Read!

I picked up this book because USA Today recommended it for summer reading, and was completely surprised and taken up by this raw and emotionally-charged book-I hadn't expected that. This moving and heart-breaking story of one fragile family's hope and love and the ultimate compromises to stay together in America will move many readers. I loved it thoroughly. I really felt for the father, a former artist who gave up his art for his family: I've rarely encountered a male figure like that in a novel. All in all, a very moving and unforgettable novel about family bonds. Writing is superb throughout!

A powerful literary novel

I very much enjoyed Mia Yun's first novel, House of the Winds, so when I got hold of her new novel, Translations of Beauty, I dove into it. And I am happy to report that I was not at all disappointed. When the twin sisters, Inah and Yunah, are four years old, Inah ends up disfigured for life as a result of a harrowing accident. And it's Yunah, now twenty-eight years old, who narrates this moving story of the twins' and their family's struggle to cope with it while living as immigrants in America. It is an intimate and poignant portrait that demands us to rethink what the so-called "American dream" really is. Although serious and dark-toned, there are quite a few moments of lightness and humor and loveliness in this beautifully written heartbreaker of a novel. The early relationship of the twins with their humane and flawed father (who later has an extra-marital affair) especially reminded me of Christina Stead's The Man Loved Children, one of my favorite novels. And of the many eccentric minor characters in the book, the outrageous Auntie Minnie is a true standout. I think this deeply felt "literary page-turner" about sisterhood, family, identity, beauty and immigrant experience works on many levels and will touch a lot of readers. Yun is a very gifted writer. Highly recommended. I also recommend Yun's lyrical first novel, V.S. Naipaul's A House for Mr. Biswas, and Sandor Marai's Embers.