“The chapters alternate among the women, each one breathing new life into the old chestnut, ‘You never know what goes on behind closed doors.’ . . . Take a closer look and you’ll find the sisterhood at the heart of this ambitious book. It’s the scaffolding—and also, occasionally, the wrecking ball.”
—The New York Times Book Review “[Cha] has a biting wit and an eye for absurd glitz. . . . Ultimately, female friendship bolsters precarious fortunes in this gripping novel—compelling readers to consider what remains after beauty fades.”
—O: The Oprah Magazine “An enthralling tale about the weight of old traumas, economic disparity and the restoring power of friendship . . . [A] powerful debut.”
—People "
If I Had Your Face isn’t just a good book—it’s a book we need, badly. . . . The vivid characters at the novel’s core make for a compelling read, and in a time of such global division, hopefully a uniting one. . . . If you read one book this month, make it
If I Had Your Face.”
—InStyle “[A] powerful and provocative rendering of contemporary South Korean society, one that might be considered bleak if not for the women themselves, who occasionally surprise with their compassion and bravery. At heart,
If I Had Your Face is a novel about female strength, spirit, resilience—and the solace that friendship can sometimes provide.”
—The Washington Post “Magnificent . . . With unblinking focus, [Cha] confronts some of the darkest consequences of contemporary gender inequity.”
—Booklist (starred review) “Searing . . . Essential reading in what Jia Tolentino memorably called the age of Instagram face.”
—Vogue (UK) “Make way for Frances Cha, an entrancing new voice who guides us into the complexities and contradictions of modern-day Seoul, a dissonant, neon world that is ripped open to bare the same universal and human challenges that face us all. I devoured this novel in a single sitting.”
—Janice Y. K. Lee, New York Times bestselling author of The Piano Teacher “Few American novelists know Seoul the way Frances Cha does and in her intimate, panoramic debut, she brings that dazzling city to life. There are voices here you haven’t heard before. . . . An enthralling read from the very first page.”
—Ed Park, author of Personal Days “Troubling, kaleidoscopic, and hugely enjoyable.”
—Nell Zink, author of Mislaid
