ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2022:  Harper’s Bazaar  •  Vogue  •  Good Housekeeping  •  CrimeReads  •  BookBub  •  Veranda  •  Shondaland  •  Debutiful  •  PureWow •  and more! A profoundly moving and suspenseful drama that untangles the complicated ties that bind families together—or break them apart—as a young Korean American man’s search for answers about his girlfriend’s mysterious death becomes a soul-searching journey into his own bi-cultural identity When the Seoul police inform Min that his girlfriend Yu-jin has committed suicide, he’s sure it can't be true. She was successful, ambitious, happy, just on the cusp of graduating from university and claiming the future she’d always dreamed of.  Min, on the other hand, born to an American father and Korean mother, has never felt quite the same certainty as Yu-jin about his life’s path. After growing up in California, where he always felt “too Korean” to fit in, he’s moved to Seoul in the hope that exploring his Korean heritage will help him find a sense of purpose. And when he meets Yu-jin, little does he know that their carefree relationship will set off a chain of events with tragic consequences for them both. Devastated by Yu-jin’s death, Min throws himself into finding out why she could have secretly wanted to die. Or did she? With a controlling and powerful government official father, and a fraught friendship with her alluring and destructive roommate So-ra, Yu-jin’s life was much more complex than she chose to reveal to Min. And the more he learns about her, the more he begins to doubt he ever really knew her at all.As Yu-jin’s story—a fraught exploration of selfhood, coming-of-age, and family expectations—collides with Min’s, the result is an engrossing page-turner that poses powerful, urgent questions about cultural identity, family bonds, secrets, and what it truly means to belong. "Transportive and poignant." —Susie Yang"Spellbinding." —Jamie Ford"A young writer to watch." —Jess Walter"Unforgettable." —Abi Daré"The most compelling debut novel I've read in years." —Alexander Chee"Heart-stopping and exquisitely plotted." —Patricia Engel"Will stay with me for a long time."—Angie Kim"Gorgeous." —Julia Phillips

A witty, heartfelt novel about a young woman who leaves everything behind to work on an oyster farm in a small New England town.Recently fired from her dependable career as an actuary, and recovering from a messy breakup with her fiancé, thirty-two-year-old Cece Downing is holed up for the summer in New London, Connecticut, without a plan. Mounting financial debts soon force Cece to take the first job opportunity that comes her way—one she’s wholly unsuited for—as a deckhand on an oyster boat.Surprisingly, Cece finds herself loving the job: working with her hands, breathing the fresh sea air, and learning the ins and outs of oyster farming. And despite her overbearing mother’s pleas to get a “real” job and reunite with her wealthy fiancé, Cece plunges headlong into an ill-advised romance with her neighbor, a handsome shipyard worker named Morgan.When a proposal to expand the oyster farm throws the community into an uproar, pitting wealthy waterfront owners against blue collar workers, Cece finds herself caught in the middle. And as a family crisis forces her to reevaluate her reckless choices Cece must come to terms with what she’s willing to sacrifice for the life she wants to live.

‘Phenomenal’ Abi Daré‘Moving and suspenseful’ Jess Walter‘Heart-stopping’ Patricia Engel'Wonderful' Jessie BurtonYu-jin is gifted. Yu-jin is loved.  Yu-jin is flourishing.Yu-jin is dead. Min Ford is searching for his place in the world. The Los Angeles native moves to Seoul to connect with his Korean heritage and find the sense of belonging that he’s never quite felt before. His girlfriend, Yu-jin, is a student at a prestigious Seoul university and has excellent grades, good friends and a bright future ahead of her. When the police inform him that Yu-jin has taken her own life, he’s sure it can’t be true. He throws himself into finding out why she could have secretly wanted to die. Or did she? The more he learns, the more he doubts he ever really knew her at all. And some people would rather keep it that way.For fans of Celeste Ng, this is a profoundly moving and suspenseful drama that untangles the complicated ties that bind families together – or break them apart. Praise for When We Fell Apart‘Suspenseful’ New York Times Book Review‘Powerful’ Vogue‘A must-read’ Washington Post‘A haunting, thought-provoking novel’ Shondaland‘Transportive and poignant’ Susie Yang‘Profoundly moving, beautifully written and utterly compelling’ Susan Elliot Wright‘A magical debut’ Amy Gentry

A witty, heartfelt novel about a young woman who leaves everything behind to work on an oyster farm in a small New England town.Fun, thoughtful, romantic!Ann Napolitano, Hello Beautiful and Dear EdwardA new town, a new life, a new man get ready for the reinvention of Cece Downing . . . Sacked from her city job and following a messy break up with her fianc, Cece decides its time for a new start, which is how she ends up in a New England coastal town working as a deckhand on an oyster boat and falling for her neighbour, Morgan, a handsome shipyard worker.But when plans for an oyster farm divide the community, and a family crisis forces her to reevaluate her choices, Cece must decide what shes prepared to risk for the life she wants . . .This novel has everything I love about a New England summer: its warm, fun, the people are witty, and theres a hot guy who works in the boatyard Annie Hartnett, Rabbit Cake and The Road to Tender HeartsAn intimate coastal portrait of reinvention, tracing a woman who trades certainty for saltwater Weike Wang, Rental House

A witty, heartfelt novel about a young woman who leaves everything behind to work on an oyster farm in a small New England town - perfect for readers of Lily King's Writers & Lovers and Jenny Jackson's The Shampoo Effect.‘Fun, thoughtful, romantic!’Ann Napolitano, Hello Beautiful and Dear EdwardA new town, a new life, a new man – get ready for the reinvention of Cece Downing . . .Sacked from her city job and following a messy break up with her fiancé, Cece decides it’s time for a new start, which is how she ends up in a New England coastal town working as a deckhand on an oyster boat and falling for her neighbour, Morgan, a handsome shipyard worker.But when plans for an oyster farm divide the community,  and a family crisis forces her to reevaluate her choices, Cece must decide what she’s prepared to risk for the life she wants . . .‘This novel has everything I love about a New England summer: it’s warm, fun, the people are witty, and there’s a hot guy who works in the boatyard’ Annie Hartnett, Rabbit Cake and The Road to Tender Hearts‘An intimate coastal portrait of reinvention, tracing a woman who trades certainty for saltwater’ Weike Wang, Rental House

'';Phenomenal'' Abi Daré'';Moving and suspenseful'' Jess Walter'';Heart-stopping'' Patricia EngelWonderfulJessie BurtonYu-jin is gifted. Yu-jin is loved. Yu-jin is flourishing.Yu-jin is dead. Min Ford is searching for his place in the world. The Los Angeles native moves to Seoul to connect with his Korean heritage and find the sense of belonging that he''s never quite felt before. His girlfriend, Yu-jin, is a student at a prestigious Seoul university and has excellent grades, good friends and a bright future ahead of her. When the police inform him that Yu-jin has taken her own life, he''s sure it can''t be true. He throws himself into finding out why she could have secretly wanted to die. Or did she? The more he learns, the more he doubts he ever really knew her at all. And some people would rather keep it that way.For fans of Celeste Ng, this is a profoundly moving and suspenseful drama that untangles the complicated ties that bind families together or break them apart. Praise forWhen We Fell Apart'';Suspenseful'' New York Times Book Review'';Powerful'' Vogue'';A must-read'' Washington Post'';A haunting, thought-provoking novel'' Shondaland'';Transportive and poignant'' Susie Yang'';Profoundly moving, beautifully written and utterly compelling'' Susan Elliot Wright'';A magical debut'' Amy Gentry

ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2022:  Harper’s Bazaar  •  Vogue  •  Good Housekeeping  •  CrimeReads  •  BookBub  •  Veranda  •  Shondaland  •  Debutiful  •  PureWow •  and more! A profoundly moving and suspenseful drama that untangles the complicated ties that bind families together—or break them apart—as a young Korean American man’s search for answers about his girlfriend’s mysterious death becomes a soul-searching journey into his own bi-cultural identity When the Seoul police inform Min that his girlfriend Yu-jin has committed suicide, he’s sure it can't be true. She was successful, ambitious, happy, just on the cusp of graduating from university and claiming the future she’d always dreamed of.  Min, on the other hand, born to an American father and Korean mother, has never felt quite the same certainty as Yu-jin about his life’s path. After growing up in California, where he always felt “too Korean” to fit in, he’s moved to Seoul in the hope that exploring his Korean heritage will help him find a sense of purpose. And when he meets Yu-jin, little does he know that their carefree relationship will set off a chain of events with tragic consequences for them both. Devastated by Yu-jin’s death, Min throws himself into finding out why she could have secretly wanted to die. Or did she? With a controlling and powerful government official father, and a fraught friendship with her alluring and destructive roommate So-ra, Yu-jin’s life was much more complex than she chose to reveal to Min. And the more he learns about her, the more he begins to doubt he ever really knew her at all.As Yu-jin’s story—a fraught exploration of selfhood, coming-of-age, and family expectations—collides with Min’s, the result is an engrossing page-turner that poses powerful, urgent questions about cultural identity, family bonds, secrets, and what it truly means to belong. "Transportive and poignant." —Susie Yang"Spellbinding." —Jamie Ford"A young writer to watch." —Jess Walter"Unforgettable." —Abi Daré"The most compelling debut novel I've read in years." —Alexander Chee"Heart-stopping and exquisitely plotted." —Patricia Engel"Will stay with me for a long time."—Angie Kim"Gorgeous." —Julia Phillips

A witty, heartfelt novel about a young woman who leaves everything behind to work on an oyster farm in a small New England town.Recently fired from her dependable career as an actuary, and recovering from a messy breakup with her fiancé, thirty-two-year-old Cece Downing is holed up for the summer in New London, Connecticut, without a plan. Mounting financial debts soon force Cece to take the first job opportunity that comes her way—one she’s wholly unsuited for—as a deckhand on an oyster boat.Surprisingly, Cece finds herself loving the job: working with her hands, breathing the fresh sea air, and learning the ins and outs of oyster farming. And despite her overbearing mother’s pleas to get a “real” job and reunite with her wealthy fiancé, Cece plunges headlong into an ill-advised romance with her neighbor, a handsome shipyard worker named Morgan.When a proposal to expand the oyster farm throws the community into an uproar, pitting wealthy waterfront owners against blue collar workers, Cece finds herself caught in the middle. And as a family crisis forces her to reevaluate her reckless choices Cece must come to terms with what she’s willing to sacrifice for the life she wants to live.

‘Phenomenal’ Abi Daré‘Moving and suspenseful’ Jess Walter‘Heart-stopping’ Patricia Engel'Wonderful' Jessie BurtonYu-jin is gifted. Yu-jin is loved.  Yu-jin is flourishing.Yu-jin is dead. Min Ford is searching for his place in the world. The Los Angeles native moves to Seoul to connect with his Korean heritage and find the sense of belonging that he’s never quite felt before. His girlfriend, Yu-jin, is a student at a prestigious Seoul university and has excellent grades, good friends and a bright future ahead of her. When the police inform him that Yu-jin has taken her own life, he’s sure it can’t be true. He throws himself into finding out why she could have secretly wanted to die. Or did she? The more he learns, the more he doubts he ever really knew her at all. And some people would rather keep it that way.For fans of Celeste Ng, this is a profoundly moving and suspenseful drama that untangles the complicated ties that bind families together – or break them apart. Praise for When We Fell Apart‘Suspenseful’ New York Times Book Review‘Powerful’ Vogue‘A must-read’ Washington Post‘A haunting, thought-provoking novel’ Shondaland‘Transportive and poignant’ Susie Yang‘Profoundly moving, beautifully written and utterly compelling’ Susan Elliot Wright‘A magical debut’ Amy Gentry

A witty, heartfelt novel about a young woman who leaves everything behind to work on an oyster farm in a small New England town.Fun, thoughtful, romantic!Ann Napolitano, Hello Beautiful and Dear EdwardA new town, a new life, a new man get ready for the reinvention of Cece Downing . . . Sacked from her city job and following a messy break up with her fianc, Cece decides its time for a new start, which is how she ends up in a New England coastal town working as a deckhand on an oyster boat and falling for her neighbour, Morgan, a handsome shipyard worker.But when plans for an oyster farm divide the community, and a family crisis forces her to reevaluate her choices, Cece must decide what shes prepared to risk for the life she wants . . .This novel has everything I love about a New England summer: its warm, fun, the people are witty, and theres a hot guy who works in the boatyard Annie Hartnett, Rabbit Cake and The Road to Tender HeartsAn intimate coastal portrait of reinvention, tracing a woman who trades certainty for saltwater Weike Wang, Rental House

A witty, heartfelt novel about a young woman who leaves everything behind to work on an oyster farm in a small New England town - perfect for readers of Lily King's Writers & Lovers and Jenny Jackson's The Shampoo Effect.‘Fun, thoughtful, romantic!’Ann Napolitano, Hello Beautiful and Dear EdwardA new town, a new life, a new man – get ready for the reinvention of Cece Downing . . .Sacked from her city job and following a messy break up with her fiancé, Cece decides it’s time for a new start, which is how she ends up in a New England coastal town working as a deckhand on an oyster boat and falling for her neighbour, Morgan, a handsome shipyard worker.But when plans for an oyster farm divide the community,  and a family crisis forces her to reevaluate her choices, Cece must decide what she’s prepared to risk for the life she wants . . .‘This novel has everything I love about a New England summer: it’s warm, fun, the people are witty, and there’s a hot guy who works in the boatyard’ Annie Hartnett, Rabbit Cake and The Road to Tender Hearts‘An intimate coastal portrait of reinvention, tracing a woman who trades certainty for saltwater’ Weike Wang, Rental House

'';Phenomenal'' Abi Daré'';Moving and suspenseful'' Jess Walter'';Heart-stopping'' Patricia EngelWonderfulJessie BurtonYu-jin is gifted. Yu-jin is loved. Yu-jin is flourishing.Yu-jin is dead. Min Ford is searching for his place in the world. The Los Angeles native moves to Seoul to connect with his Korean heritage and find the sense of belonging that he''s never quite felt before. His girlfriend, Yu-jin, is a student at a prestigious Seoul university and has excellent grades, good friends and a bright future ahead of her. When the police inform him that Yu-jin has taken her own life, he''s sure it can''t be true. He throws himself into finding out why she could have secretly wanted to die. Or did she? The more he learns, the more he doubts he ever really knew her at all. And some people would rather keep it that way.For fans of Celeste Ng, this is a profoundly moving and suspenseful drama that untangles the complicated ties that bind families together or break them apart. Praise forWhen We Fell Apart'';Suspenseful'' New York Times Book Review'';Powerful'' Vogue'';A must-read'' Washington Post'';A haunting, thought-provoking novel'' Shondaland'';Transportive and poignant'' Susie Yang'';Profoundly moving, beautifully written and utterly compelling'' Susan Elliot Wright'';A magical debut'' Amy Gentry