A Korean Canadian woman returns to the prairies, where she revisits her childhood and confronts her haunting guilt.
Anne Kim is a New York lawyer whose success is built on forgetting the past. When her father dies and she returns to Edmonton for the funeral, she is shocked to discover that he was from North Korea and that he left his brother behind.
As Anne reads the undelivered letters her father wrote to his brother about life in Canada, she is transported back to her childhood during the 1980s and 90s. She recalls the struggles her parents faced as immigrants who ran a grocery store in a rural prairie town. Anne and her brother, Charles, felt the weight of their father’s expectations: whereas Anne was driven to excel and became an overachiever, Charles rebelled, determined to pursue his own dreams. His rebellion created a rift that culminated in a devastating act, irrevocably shattering the family and leaving Anne overwhelmed by inescapable guilt.
Inheritance explores the immigrant experience, the sacrifices made by both parents and children, and the way trauma is transferred to the next generation. As Anne completes her journey to the past, she emerges to finally define life on her own terms.
A Korean Canadian woman returns to the prairies, where she revisits her childhood and confronts her haunting guilt.
Anne Kim is a New York lawyer whose success is built on forgetting the past. When her father dies and she returns to Edmonton for the funeral, she is shocked to discover that he was from North Korea and that he left his brother behind.
As Anne reads the undelivered letters her father wrote to his brother about life in Canada, she is transported back to her childhood during the 1980s and 90s. She recalls the struggles her parents faced as immigrants who ran a grocery store in a rural prairie town. Anne and her brother, Charles, felt the weight of their father’s expectations: whereas Anne was driven to excel and became an overachiever, Charles rebelled, determined to pursue his own dreams. His rebellion created a rift that culminated in a devastating act, irrevocably shattering the family and leaving Anne overwhelmed by inescapable guilt.
Inheritance explores the immigrant experience, the sacrifices made by both parents and children, and the way trauma is transferred to the next generation. As Anne completes her journey to the past, she emerges to finally define life on her own terms.
| Published By | House of Anansi Press Inc — Apr 7, 2026 |
| Specifications | 320 pages | 6 in x 9 in |
| Keywords | AAPI; Asian Heritage Month; Pan-Asian Heritage Month; Sibling Stories; How to Pronounce Knife; Souvankham Thammavongsa; Ancestry; Family Dynamics; On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous; Ocean Vuong; Cho Nam-Joo; Kim Jiyoung; Ins Choi; Books About Belonging; Racism; Ann Yu-Kyung Choi; |
| Written By |
JANE PARK is a second-generation Korean Canadian writer. She is a MacDowell Fellow, and was a participant in the Banff Centre’s Writing Studio, and Diaspora Dialogues. She was born in Edmonton, Alberta, lived in New York City for over a decade, and now lives in Calgary, Alberta. Currently, she is pursuing an MFA at the University of British Columbia. Inheritance is her debut novel. |
| Written By |
|
JANE PARK is a second-generation Korean Canadian writer. She is a MacDowell Fellow, and was a participant in the Banff Centre’s Writing Studio, and Diaspora Dialogues. She was born in Edmonton, Alberta, lived in New York City for over a decade, and now lives in Calgary, Alberta. Currently, she is pursuing an MFA at the University of British Columbia. Inheritance is her debut novel. |
“A tender, finely observed, insightful debut.”—Su Chang, author of The Immortal Woman
”“A powerful and gripping novel.” —Edward Lee, author of The Laundryman’s Boy
”“An authentic and layered exploration of identity, sacrifice, and healing.” —Ann Y. K. Choi, author of All Things Under the Moon and Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety
”“Brilliantly paced and beautifully told, Inheritance is above all about family and how, despite our best intentions, we so often do damage to the ones we most love.” —Nino Ricci, Governor General's Literary Award–winning author of Lives of the Saints and The Origin of Species
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