A thrilling debut novel for fans of Liane Moriarty and Celeste Ng about how far we’ll go to protect our families—and our deepest secretsMy husband asked me to lie. Not a big lie. He probably didn’t even consider it a lie, and neither did I, at first . . .In rural Virginia, Young and Pak Yoo run an experimental medical treatment device known as the Miracle Submarine—a pressurized oxygen chamber … Miracle Submarine—a pressurized oxygen chamber that patients enter for therapeutic “dives” with the hopes of curing issues like autism or infertility. But when the Miracle Submarine mysteriously explodes, killing two people, a dramatic murder trial upends the Yoos’ small community.
Who or what caused the explosion? Was it the mother of one of the patients, who claimed to be sick that day but was smoking down by the creek? Or was it Young and Pak themselves, hoping to cash in on a big insurance payment and send their daughter to college? The ensuing trial uncovers unimaginable secrets from that night—trysts in the woods, mysterious notes, child-abuse charges—as well as tense rivalries and alliances among a group of people driven to extraordinary degrees of desperation and sacrifice.
Angie Kim’s Miracle Creek is a thoroughly contemporary take on the courtroom drama, drawing on the author’s own life as a Korean immigrant, former trial lawyer, and mother of a real-life “submarine” patient. Both a compelling page-turner and an excavation of identity and the desire for connection, Miracle Creek is a brilliant, empathetic debut from an exciting new voice.
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I finally caught up with Angie Kim’s Miracle Creek. An unbelievable experience. It’s partly courtroom drama; partly an immigrant narrative; partly mystery. There were parts that seemed repetitive, and the central question of who had access to the cigarets and matches, and who lit the cigaret which started the fatal blaze seemed a little over the top but the writing was brilliant. The insight into a Korean immigrant experience was incredibly informative and touching. A huge bonus of the book was the interview at the end of the novel, conducted by Kim’s editor at FSG.
What an incredible journey this author has had. Arriving in this country at the age of 11, not able to speak a word of English, she eventually graduated from Stanford University, and Harvard Law; and was editor of Harvard Law Review before becoming a litigator. Then, she became a mother to three boys, one with disabilities that formed the basis for this novel.
I would recommend this book for the interview alone. As an immigrant myself, I cannot express how very satisfying Kim’s personal narrative is especially since she also picked up the Edgar award for First Novel for Miracle Creek. Go Angie!
Well crafted layered story, with complex characters and motives. I quite enjoyed it!
Loved this book! Perfect mix of morals, mystery and mothering. As a mother, it’s hard to not fall prey to guilt even when you have a seemingly ‘normal’ child. I can’t imagine the pressure and challenges of dealing with an autistic child. Ms. Kim allows you to step into the shoes of the characters and hear their stories. And to feel ashamed for how we often rush to conclusions and misjudge people. It was hard to figure out who was guilty. And in the end it was apparent many bore the blame. Also great courtroom cross-examinations. Hard to put down. And sad to be done with it.
Different. Not your cookie cutter reading.
I initially picked up this book because it was supposed to be a great courtroom drama- it is that and more. A Miracle Submarine in Miracle Creek, Virginia is run by the Yoo family and is billed as a cure for infertility and autism among other things. A horrible explosion occurs in the submarine and two people are killed. When it is determined not to be an accident, the investigation begins. There are plenty of suspects and lots of secrets. How far will people go to protect their loved ones? The courtroom drama unfolds as evidence is presented and secrets are revealed. Definitely an original story with age old themes.
Pak and his wife have immigrated to the US from Korea. His wife and daughter went first and lived with a sponsor in Baltimore. Several years later Pak was able to join them. They worked hard and were able to move into a rural area of VA — Miracle Creek. They opened a treatment center using hyperbaric oxygen therapy–the Miracle Submarine. This treatment was used mostly by mothers and their autistic children in hopes of lessening the symptoms of autism. For some groups this was considered not only experimental but against God’s will. On the night when they were visited by protestors there was a fire in the barn where the Miracle Submarine was housed. Treatment was going on at the time of the explosion and several were injured and two fatally. The emphasis of this story is the aftermath and the courtroom drama. I liked the uniqueness of the HBOT (hyperbaric oxygen therapy), the Korean family and the mothers of the children that were severely disabled, a good deeper look at the intensity of feelings they have for their children — even with their neverending love and care, they still reach breaking points. It was a good mystery and certainly had many that could have committed the arson or was it an accident….
Miracle Creek is a whiplash-inducing book. The story propels you forward page by thrilling page. I love how each character is nuanced and very raw and real.
The back and forth in the courtroom scenes kept me guessing at the perpetrator. This is a complex book, and it made me feel for all the characters involved.
Kim does an excellent job in balancing varied perspectives and building up the pile of significant info until the final reveal. This novel also has a strong philosophical current underlying it of how the little moments can change our lives.
An unflinching portrayal of how secrets in lives may lead to literal or figurative explosions; a novel that deserves its many accolades and hype.
The premise of the book sounded great — a mother on trial for the murder of her autistic child who is undergoing experimental treatment for autism. I found it so tedious that I decided not to even finish it. Characters were not likable and the motivations were confusing. I can’t recommend this one.
With Miracle Creek, Angie Kim has written an engrossing tale with unflinching courage and deeply honest emotion. Part immigrant story, part legal drama, part small-town mystery — wholly wonderful. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook narrated by Jennifer Lim.
I didn’t love it, but I did keep reading and guessing wrong.
Boring
I purchased Angie Kim’s Miracle Creek at Barnes and Nobel’s #Blowout sale. I had heard so much good buzz about the novel! I was not disappointed.
A Korean immigrant family endeavors to the American dream when a tragic accident causes the death of a woman and a child and disfigures several others. Now, the party guilty of causing the accident is being sought in court.
Not only is the novel a well-paced and well-written courtroom drama, and the characters unique and vivid, the slow revelation of the truth makes for page-turning, engrossed reading.
Timely and timeless issues are central: the immigrant experience, assimilating and reaching for the American dream; the awesome burden of care and love carried by parents of special needs Autistic children; how infertility strains a marriage; the secrets we keep; how frustration and anger and guilt we feel drive us to lash out in actions contrary to our nature.
“…that was the thing about lying: you had to throw in occasional kernels of shameful truths to serve as decoys for the things you really needed to hide.”~from Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
Everyone is lying. They lie to hide their sins, they lie to protect their loved ones, they lie out of fear, and they lie to themselves.
Everyone is guilty, contributing to the series of events that caused death and permanent bodily harm and psychological damage.
Some are more guilty than others. Someone lit the fire.
Punishments are not in balance with guilt. The innocent of crimes hold the personal guilt of falling short of their high standards of perfection and inflect their own penalty. A horrible crime goes unpunished.
Miracle Creek is a fantastic read and an amazing debut novel. I will eagerly await more from Kim.
I will recommend this to my book club!
-Description-
A courtroom drama that will have you chilled to the bone about how this perfect storm of events led to three deaths. Who did it? And why?
-Thoughts-
1. If you know me, then you know I love a multi viewpoint book. The author did a superb job of this. The characters were all so different and their voices followed suit.
2. The twists and turns within the courtroom scenes will have you cheering and then jeering the same people over and over again. I didn’t know who’s side I was on….and I liked it!!
3. The thoughts and behavior were so reprehensible, yet I could relate. I think we all can.
-Rating-
5/5
I highly recommend this book!
-Similar Recommended Reads-
A Nearly Normal Family
All We Ever Wanted
The Storyteller
So much more than a courtroom drama–Miracle Creek explores the immigrant experience, good parents making terrible decisions, and the stresses of raising a handicapped child. An intriguing mystery as well as a thought-provoking human drama. Would be great for a book club.
This is a tightly written and entertaining courtroom drama and also a very interesting character study of Korean-American life. Some of the writing is truly poetic; I always admire creative writers who have the insight to come up with completely new visualizations, and she does it brilliantly.
Toward the second half, the story does have a whole row of needless obscenities which detracts from the power of the writing. There is also some explicit sex, which readers need to know is part of the plot. So . . . four stars, not five. But overall, this author is truly skilled and I stand in awe at her ability to weave a complicated tale and keep the reader engaged throughout.
So I found this book starts off slow. It does pick up about half way through. Overall I did enjoy it. It was definitely I different idea of something bad happening. Everyone lies throughout this book. It’s trying to figure out what those lies are and who really started the fire. There is a lot of courtroom drama but even more drama outside of the courtroom. If you like courtroom dramas and trying to figure out a mystery then pick up this book.
*I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*
Korean immigrants Pak and Young Yoo live in Miracle Creek, Virginia and operate a controversial healing mechanism, a submarine-like apparatus that purports to heal patients through oxygen therapy. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy or HBOT treatments have helped many with a variety of medical issues from children with autism to men with infertility problems. On one late summer evening, the HBOT exploded during a treatment session, killing two patients, injuring another and putting the Yoo’s daughter Mary in a coma. When the origin of the fire that caused the explosion is determined to be arson, focus is placed on Elizabeth Ward, the mother of the young boy who died. Through the trial, we get the narratives of those present that day and they reveal a labyrinth of secrets and lies that call into question who was responsible for the HBOT tragedy.
I’m so thankful to my Goodreads and blogger friends because without them, I would never have selected this book to read. It has just about everything…courtroom drama, mystery, intrigue, humor and tragedy. It’s also an excellent exploration of the human condition with all its messiness and is educational in not only introducing this treatment phenomenon but providing much needed insight about the caretakers for children with autism and the immigrant experience.
I struggled to put this book down once I started and finished one afternoon after only intending to listen for an hour or two. The characters are brilliantly developed, revealing unending layers for each. By the end, there aren’t any ambiguities about any of them. My list of suspects changed with each narrative transition as clues were added throughout. The narrator was SO good, adding even more to an already great story. It’s difficult to get my head around this being a debut novel because it reflects the style of a much more seasoned writer. If you listen to the audiobook, which I heartily recommend, be sure to listen to the interview with the author at the end, conducted by the editor. This is an extraordinarily good story that I recommend to everyone!
Engrossing mystery that deals with issues of motherhood, class, disability, immigration and family. Would recommend.
When I first started reading this I was really excited for the story. As I went on, it became harder to finish. Drawn out. And, while I understand that there is still a lot of misinformation about autism out there, to have disproven “theories” presented in court was horrible. The ending was just too predictable for me to give more than 3 stars.
Very interesting characters. The plot was unique, kept you wanting to know what was going to happen next. The writing excellent. Very thought provoking. What would you do for your children?