Korean American novelist Susan Choi has been shortlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize for her latest work "Flashlight," marking another significant achievement for the acclaimed author who previously won the US National Book Award for "Trust Exercise." The Booker Prize committee praised the novel as a thrilling, globe-spanning work that explores complex themes of memory, language, identity, and family dynamics.
"Flashlight" represents Choi's sixth novel and opens with a haunting and mysterious scene set by the ocean. The story begins with 10-year-old Louisa walking along a beach at night with her father, Serk, who carries a flashlight despite being unable to swim. By dawn, Louisa is barely alive after being pulled from the tide, while her father has mysteriously disappeared. This tragic incident serves as the central mystery that drives the entire narrative.
From this dramatic opening, Choi constructs an ambitious family saga that spans multiple continents and decades. The novel shifts between various settings, including postwar Korean immigrant communities in Japan, American suburban neighborhoods, and scenes from the North Korean regime. Through this expansive geographical and temporal scope, the author weaves together the complex threads of one family's history and trauma.
The narrative structure alternates between different family members' perspectives, repeatedly returning to that fateful night by the sea as the story gradually reveals the far-reaching consequences of the family's catastrophe. At the center of the mystery is Serk, an ethnic Korean who was born and raised in Japan before reinventing himself as a mathematics professor in the United States. Neither his daughter Louisa nor his wife Anne knows much about his early life experiences growing up in Japan during World War II, adding layers of secrecy and historical complexity to the family's story.
Choi, who was born in 1969 in South Bend, Indiana, to a Korean father and Jewish American mother, has built her literary reputation on thoughtful explorations of identity, memory, and history. Her multicultural background has informed much of her work, allowing her to navigate complex questions of belonging and heritage with nuance and authenticity.
In a recent interview with her publisher, Choi described her research process and creative inspiration for the novel. "There were waves upon waves of things I got curious about," she explained. "I would throw myself into one thing – like what it would have been like to grow up as an ethnic Korean boy in wartime Japan." This intensive research approach reflects her commitment to historical accuracy and emotional truth in her storytelling.
The 2024 Booker Prize shortlist features six compelling works alongside Choi's "Flashlight." The other nominated titles include "The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny" by Kiran Desai, "Audition" by Katie Kitamura, "The Rest of Our Lives" by Ben Markovits, "The Land in Winter" by Andrew Miller, and "Flesh" by David Szalay. This diverse selection represents some of the year's most acclaimed literary fiction.
The winner of the Booker Prize will be announced on November 10, with the recipient earning 50,000 British pounds (approximately $67,000) along with the international recognition that comes with one of literature's most prestigious awards. "Flashlight" is published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, continuing Choi's relationship with one of America's most respected literary publishers.
