04/07/2026
Inheritance by Jane Park — a review ✨
Inheritance is a story about Anne Kim, the 2nd child of Korean immigrants, who has to reckon with her past after her father’s death.
When I think about Anne a few words come to mind: selfish, independent, emotionally immature, perfect, fearful. These descriptors initially made me annoyed — maybe even disliked her, but as the story progressed, I understood her. During her childhood Anne’s father repeated the phrase “your life doesn’t belong to you. It belongs to our family.” and while it wasn’t technically meant for her, it set the course of her life.
I empathize with Anne’s need to be perfect and the idea that her behavior was tied to her parents’ love & well being. That weight is too much for a child to carry and can lead to foolish choices. I think Park does a great job of capturing these moments within Anne but also almost everyone she interacts with.
I was a bit frustrated with the pacing while reading the story. There is a tension and strong resentment you feel amongst the characters almost immediately. I wanted to know what the heck happened at the 30% mark. In hindsight, the story unfolded the “right way”. Every flashback added depth, made things a little more complicated and challenged me to understand young Anne’s choices. It made me appreciate how adult Anne began to reckon with said choices.
This story is a stark reminder that you cannot run forever. It reminds us that we can’t change the past but we can always do something new. I’m at a point in my life where both reminders are necessary. I’m grateful for this book.
Thank you to Jane Park for this story and Colored Pages & Pegasus Books for the ARC.
I hope you guys check this one out!
