Beth’s Pick
August 2026
Flashlight
Susan Choi
Farrar, Straus & Giroux, June, 2025
At the start of this novel a Korean man named Serk is walking along a shore in Japan in the 1970s with his ten year old daughter Louisa. When they do not return to their beach rental a search finds Louisa injured on the shore with little memory of the event. There is no sign of her father who could not swim and was carrying a flashlight.
During this novel we learn about Serk’s upbringing in Japan during World War II and the difficulties experienced by Koreans living in Japan. Serk eventually moves to the US for graduate work. He marries Anne who has her own story including a son from an earlier relationship and a mysterious illness that coincides with the family’s move to Japan for Serk’s work. Louisa’s story is no less fascinating as she navigates these circumstances.
This novel gives us insight into the complicated history of the Korean people. It leaves us with much to ponder about identity and national belonging.
Flashlight was shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize and Susan Choi won the National Book Award for Fiction for her novel Trust Exercise.