That Lonely Spell By Frances Park - Goodreads

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Jump to ratings and reviewsWant to ReadKindle $9.99Rate this bookThat Lonely Spell

Frances Park

4.90Want to ReadKindle $9.99Rate this bookFrances Park's parents arrived in the United States decades before the mass migration of Koreans. Her background and memory are rich with unique histories that work their way into That Lonely Spell. A mosaic of previously published essays, this memoir reveals-with heartbreak and humor-one woman's passion, insights, and love for the family and friends who graced her life. A singular voice.

230 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2022

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Frances Park

23 books27 followersFollowFollowI grew up in an era when the U.S. Census Bureau need only come to my family's house to get a total head count of Koreans in my ‘burb. That reality is often reflected in fourteen books by publishers big and small for readers young and old. BLUE RICE (Vine Leaves Press/June 2024) is a timely tale of a young woman from northern Korea who takes what fate deals her following the Korean War, including her acclimation to 1960s America when her husband deserts her. On the horizon is a children's book SUKA'S FARM (Albert Whitman/March 2025), a testament to a hungry Korean boy's desire to feed his family during the Japanese Occupation. THE SUMMER MY SISTER WAS CLEOPATRA MOON (Heliotrope NYC/Sept 2023) is a revised and streamlined version of a novel originally published in 2000, long before the era of K-Pop and K-Dramas. A quarter century later, the Oscars have proven that stories about the Asian American experience have certainly come to light, and that audiences are receptive. That said, playing in my mind like vintage footage, I was always hoping that somehow, someday, I could bring the Moon family back to life, sisters Marcy and Cleo cruising around in that yellow Mustang on their way to Taco Town in the summer of '76. And here it is!Other works include GRANDPA'S SCROLL (Albert Whitman/May 2023), my sixth co-authored children's book with sister Ginger, my includes my memoir THAT LONELY SPELL: STORIES OF FAMILY, FRIENDS & LOVE (Heliotrope NYC/2022) and CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE: THE TRUE STORY OF TWO SISTERS, TONS OF TREATS, AND THE LITTLE SHOP THAT COULD (Thomas Dunne/ 2011), Shorter works - stories and essays - have appeared in O: The Oprah Magazine, The Chicago Quarterly, The Massachusetts Review, The Bellevue Literary Review, The London Magazine, Pleaides, Spirituality & Health Magazine, OZY, Slice, Folio, Gulf Coast Journal, and Arts & Letters, to name a few. One work earned a spot on THE BEST AMERICAN ESSAYS 2017 Notable List. More co-authored and highly-praised children's books include MY FREEDOM TRIP: A CHILD'S ESCAPE TO NORTH KOREA (Boyds Mills Press/1998), winner of The International Reading Association Award; THE ROYAL BEE (Boyds Mills Press/2000), winner of The Joan B. Sugarman Award; and GOOD-BYE, 382 SHIN DANG DONG (National Geographic Children’s Books/2002), described by Newsweek magazine as "the perfect all-American story". I've been interviewed on 'Good Morning America', CNN, the Diane Rehm Show, Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, and NPR. When I'm not in writing mode, I'm at Chocolate Chocolate, a sweet boutique in Washington, DC breaking bonbons with customers. Books + Chocolate = A Dream Life!Visit me at www.parksisters.com.

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4.905 stars9 (90%)4 stars1 (10%)3 stars0 (0%)2 stars0 (0%)1 star0 (0%)Search review textFiltersEnglishDisplaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviewsRich B2 reviewsFollowFollowOctober 22, 2022These stories masterfully reveal a bouquet of the life and emotions of a masterful storyteller. Frances Park’s prowess as a compelling and engaging writer is evident immediately. The impact of losing her father way before his time is one of the dominant themes of the stories, each sharing its message of loss likely catch a kernel of us all via her poignant, emotive tributes. Her regret she couldn’t hold on to her dad so tight that she’d never lose him surfaces more than once – we’ve all felt that way about someone.Her visits to past loves, lives, friends and neighbors, jobs, are executed in a way that makes you feel as if these are your own experiences and emotions. Reminiscing about a beloved dog and his passing is a beautiful treatment, especially for anyone who ever loved and lost a pet. One of my favs was about a mother-daughter excursion to the Amish country, revealing more about their lives and love for each other in sixteen pages than many more voluminous works - a pleasure to read. I marvel at her skill painting when good friends are there for you, when they are gone, and narratives on filling the void for her mother when her dad is gone is so lovingly detailed. I felt pulled into the essays and often related to them as if these were my own experiences.Steve19 reviewsFollowFollowApril 17, 2022I really loved this book and these essays/memoirs. For one thing, they’re so much fun to read. Which seems odd, considering that the thread connecting all these would be the death of a beloved father. But the voice of Frances Park in these pieces continues on, sassy and funny and sexy regardless of the sorrows that swim through and around. Reading these is like spending time with a favorite friend who wears bright clothes and makes you laugh by reflex, but who also gives space for loss. I think my favorite must be "Serving God, Meat, and Intercourse in an Amish Diner," which is one of the best things I've read in a long time. It travels such a great distance with no (noticeable) effort, like a dancer just casually tossing off these spectacular moves. You could say the same for the book as a whole as well.Profile Image for R.A. Cramblitt.R.A. CramblittAuthor 3 books10 followersFollowFollowJanuary 14, 2024"That Lonely Spell" hit me at many levels; intellectually, spiritually and emotionally. Its ineffable sadness is leavened with humor and searing insights into the human condition. Frances Park has a rare talent: The ability to evoke emotions without sentimentality. Joan Didion comes to mind. Park's writing is pitch perfect to my ears. That sense of rhythm within good prose is highly underrated and not widely discussed. But you know it when you hear it. Park is a poet and it shows.If you've had losses in your life--and who hasn't--this book will resonate with you.Profile Image for Joy.Joy2,025 reviewsFollowFollowJune 25, 2022I really enjoyed this collection of essays. Frances Park co-owns a chocolate store near my house, and so it was fun to read this and learn more about her. I also enjoyed the various DC-references. I was surprised there wasn’t a chapter about her sister, Ginger, who I think co-owns the chocolate shop. But overall, this was a really nice collection of reflections on different relationships throughout her life.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews

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