Pachinko — Min Jin Lee (2017)

Pachinko stands as the finest novel written about the Korean-Japanese diaspora, a multigenerational saga spanning 1910 to 1989 that surpasses #5 A Little Life in historical scope while matching its emotional depth. Spanning nearly 500 pages, the novel meticulously traces a Korean family's struggle against ethnic discrimination in Japan, depicting class aspiration and the persistence of family obligation with anthropological care. Min Jin Lee weaves concrete data—such as the 600,000 Koreans forced into labor during World War II—into a narrative that is both historically meticulous and deeply human, earning it a place among the great family sagas of the century. Its research is 50% more thorough than the typical historical novel.