Shelter, Jung Yun
Shelter, Jung Yun
2 Rating(s)
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

Shelter
A Novel

Author: Jung Yun

Narrator: Raymond Lee

Unabridged: 8 hr 45 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/15/2016


Synopsis

You can never know what goes on behind closed doors.

One of The Millions' Most Anticipated Books of the Year (Selected by Edan Lepucki)

Kyung Cho is a young father burdened by a house he can’t afford. For years, he and his wife, Gillian, have lived beyond their means. Now their debts and bad decisions are catching up with them, and Kyung is anxious for his family’s future.

A few miles away, his parents, Jin and Mae, live in the town’s most exclusive neighborhood, surrounded by the material comforts that Kyung desires for his wife and son. Growing up, they gave him every possible advantage—private tutors, expensive hobbies—but they never showed him kindness. Kyung can hardly bear to see them now, much less ask for their help. Yet when an act of violence leaves Jin and Mae unable to live on their own, the dynamic suddenly changes, and he’s compelled to take them in. For the first time in years, the Chos find themselves living under the same roof. Tensions quickly mount as Kyung’s proximity to his parents forces old feelings of guilt and anger to the surface, along with a terrible and persistent question: how can he ever be a good husband, father, and son when he never knew affection as a child?

As Shelter veers swiftly toward its startling conclusion, Jung Yun leads us through dark and violent territory, where, unexpectedly, the Chos discover hope. Shelter is a masterfully crafted debut that asks what it means to provide for one's family and, in answer, delivers a story as riveting as it is profound.

About Jung Yun

Jung Yun was born in Seoul, South Korea and grew up in Fargo, North Dakota. Her debut novel, Shelter was long-listed for the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize, a finalist for the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Award, and a semi-finalist for Good Reads’ Best Fiction Book of 2016. She was a MacDowell fellow, and her work has appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and Tin House, among others. Currently, she resides in Baltimore, and serves as an assistant professor of English at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Matthew on February 13, 2017

I enjoyed the writing a lot. I thought it was well done, easy to read, and kept my interest. However . . . The main character was the most pitiful excuse for a main character I have ever seen. He is a stupid, whiny, inconsiderate, good-for-nothing loser. Even when I thought the author was trying to m......more

Goodreads review by Andrew on March 28, 2024

Kyung Cho is Korean born but is now living in America with his wife Gillian and their four-year-old son. He’s well educated and works as a tenure-track professor at the local university. But he and his wife have over-stretched themselves, and their financial situation is perilous. They have next to......more

Goodreads review by j e w e l s on May 09, 2018

4 STARS SHELTER is an engrossing book from the very first page to the last. It starts with a horrific crime and continues with the secrets unleashed in it's aftermath. I can't say I actually enjoyed the book, there is a terrifying realism to the story and that story is such a sad and ugly one. SHELTE......more

Goodreads review by Barbara on April 14, 2016

SHELTER by Jung Yun is a novel that emotionally leaves the reader reeling. It’s an emotional family drama hidden in a crime suspense novel. Author Yun brilliantly writes her characters to the point that the reader is invested in their lives. The novel begins with 36 year-old Kyung Cho attempting to r......more

Goodreads review by Rincey on May 05, 2020

I know I'm like 4 years behind the trend on this one, but holy cow, this book is so good. Watch my full review: [URL not allowed]......more


Awards

  • Goodreads Choice Awards