“Ever since my mother passed away, I cry every time I go to H Mart.” The memoir Crying in H Mart by Korean-American singer and author Michelle Zauner is a story of overcoming the absence of a mother and the loss of a native language through Korean food. Its opening line evokes a profound longing for roots and a wave of emotion that needs no explanation.

Nancy Gonan, a Korean-American woman of mixed heritage from Los Angeles, also found herself swallowing tears while reading this book. For her, “Mom’s food” was synonymous with Korea, a memory that remained the sole thread connecting her to her past. Now, Nancy is preparing to travel to Gangwon-do in September to trace the footsteps of her mother, who left Korea long ago.Nancy’s mother, Lee Wol-seon, was born in 1933 in Sanggeol-ri, Chunseong-gun (now Chuncheon-si), Gangwon-do.

In 1955, she married Earl Louis Sorenson, a U.S. soldier, and gave birth to their eldest daughter, Louise, in Seoul before immigrating to the United States. In 1957, she gave birth to her second daughter, Nancy, in Los Angeles. Lee passed away when Nancy was 22.Since that day, Nancy has lived with the question, “Who am I?” In a life disconnected from language, culture, and family, the only thing she could hold onto was the memory of her mother’s Korean food. That memory, unfaded by time, has finally led her on a journey to her roots.

Recently, Nancy retrieved an old English-language family registry from the depths of her desk drawer. The dusty document listed her mother’s hometown, her grandparents’ names, and addresses from the time of her marriage: 52 Sanggeol-ri, Chuncheon-si, and 663 Wadong-ri, Hongcheon-eup, Hongcheon-gun. To Nancy, the numbers and words in the worn paper felt like a lifeline.

Currently residing in Israel, Nancy will travel to Gangwon-do on September 18 with her two daughters, who live in Los Angeles. She hopes to visit her mother’s childhood home and, with fervent longing, to reunite with any surviving relatives. In an interview with this outlet on June 11, she said, “I want to rebuild my identity through my mother’s past.” Her story has since garnered attention from Korean media, including Yonhap News and Gangwon Domin Ilbo, with The Chosun Ilbo also requesting an interview to coincide with her visit to Korea. The Los Angeles Korean Consulate and the California Gangwon-do Residents’ Association have lent support to her journey. Nancy is collaborating with Mark Peterson, an emeritus professor at Brigham Young University researching Korean family histories, and Professor Shin Chae-yong in Seoul to find clues to her relatives.

“Finding my connection to my mother is not just my journey; it’s about passing down roots and identity to my two daughters,” Nancy said. Through this journey that transcends generations and borders, she is rewriting the meaning of “family.” Her story echoes the emotional depth Michelle Zauner portrays in her book. That a single bowl of Korean food or an old address can set a person’s life in motion is truly remarkable. The journey of a woman born in Los Angeles, living in Israel, and carrying a lifelong yearning for her roots now leads to Gangwon-do.

The power of empathy shown through literature has become reality for Nancy. We hope the final scene moves beyond “tears at H Mart” to a warm reunion on Korean soil. We also cheer for her to complete the last piece of the puzzle in her life through this precious journey.

By Sehee Roh, Deputy Editor-in-Chief and Society Desk Chief