Miracle Creek
Winner of the 2020 Edgar Award for best first novel
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3.8 • 12 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
My husband asked me to lie. Not a big lie. He probably didn't even consider it a lie, and neither did I, at first . . .
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 secrets
WINNER OF THE EDGAR AWARD FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR
In rural Virginia, Young and Pak Yoo run an experimental medical treatment device known as the Miracle Submarine: a pressurized oxygen chamber that patients enter for "dives", used as an alternative therapy for conditions including 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.
'Engrossing . . . Miracle Creek turns a courtroom murder trial into a page-turning exploration of parenting, experimental therapies, and the emotional toil of immigration' Elle
'A marvel, a taut courtroom thriller that ultimately tells the most human story imaginable, a story of good intentions and reckless passions. Compelling, generous, at once empathetic and unsparing . . . the perfect novel for these chaotic times in which we live' Laura Lippman
'Kim has written a bold debut novel about science and immigration and the hopes and fears each engenders - unforgettable and true' Alexander Chee
'Grabbed me hard right from the start. This is a terrific courtroom thriller, a sly whodunit that's beautifully written and also full of heart' Scott Turow
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Kim's stand-out, twisty debut, Young and Pak Yoo live in Miracle Creek, a small town in Virginia, with their daughter, Mary. After immigrating to Virginia from Seoul, they start the business that operates in the barn behind their home: hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) sessions in a chamber designed like a submarine. But then the fatal explosion that kicks off this winning novel happens, leaving two people dead, Pak in a wheelchair, and Mary permanently scarred. One year later, the Yoos must testify in court against Elizabeth Ward, who's been accused of orchestrating the incident to kill her son, Henry, a child who'd been undergoing HBOT to treat his autism, and who died in the explosion. As the trial progresses, each person who'd been present that night must reckon with what really happened. There's a rich cast, among them Matt, a doctor who'd been using HBOT for his infertility and who'd had a not-completely innocent relationship with Mary, and Young, whose desperation to be a good wife and mother leaves her wanting as both. Kim, a former lawyer, clearly knows her stuff, and though the level of procedural detail is sometimes unwieldy, nonetheless what emerges is a masterfully plotted novel about the joys and pains of motherhood, the trick mirror nature of truth, and the unforgiving nature of justice.
Customer Reviews
Tracks of their tears
Korean immigrants operate a free-standing hyperbaric oxygen therapy facility in the titular small town in rural Virginia that offers treatment for “off label” indications (autism, infertility etc). It catches fire while punters are inside. One adult, one kid die. Several others, including owner/operator of facility are badly injured. The mother of dead kid is charged with murder. Suspicion falls on various others as secrets are revealed both inside and outside court.
Third person narrative, multiple POVs. Characters include Korean owners of the facility, their teenage daughter, an Anglo doctor with Korean wife, and the accused are all explored in detail. Sundry others less so.
Issues include race (Asian immigrants living in rural mainly Caucasian community although the prosecutor is black), looking after autistic kids is hard work, parents who pursue unproven therapies for their kids when conventional options are lacking or inadequate, the moral outrage of those who consider this child abuse, the effect of social media in whipping up emotions on both sides, marital tensions, teens at odds with parents.
The prose is compelling, heart-rending at times, and tightly plotted with plentiful (possibly too many) twists and turns.