57 pages 1 hour read

Frances Cha

If I Had Your Face

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2020

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Before You Read

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Super Short Summary

If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha follows four women in Seoul: Ara, a mute hair stylist obsessed with a K-Pop idol; Kyuri, a room salon girl facing professional and personal conflicts; Miho, an artist entangled in a fraught relationship; and Wonna, a married woman struggling with infertility and societal expectations. Themes include body dysmorphia, suicide, child abuse, sexual assault, violence, and miscarriage.

Reviews & Readership

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Review Roundup

Frances Cha's If I Had Your Face offers a compelling look into the lives of young women in contemporary South Korea, praised for its vivid storytelling and complex characters. However, some find the multiple perspectives disjointed and the narrative occasionally uneven. Overall, it’s a thought-provoking exploration of beauty standards and societal pressures.

Who should read this

Who Should Read If I Had Your Face?

A reader who would enjoy If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha is typically interested in contemporary fiction that delves into issues of beauty, societal pressures, and female friendships in South Korea. Fans of Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan or Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, which explore intricate social dynamics, will likely find this book engaging.

Recommended

Reading Age

18+years

Book Details

Topics

Gender / Feminism

Trauma / Abuse / Violence

Women's Studies (Nonfiction)

Themes

Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Relationships: Friendship

Genre

Modern Classic Fiction

Period

Asian Literature