MINBAK
Mar 2026 · Random House
Ebook
400
Pages
family_home
Eligible
info
infoThis book will become available on March 5, 2026. You will not be charged until it is released.
About this ebook
‘Ela Lee is a remarkable new voice in fiction' Stacey Halls, bestselling author of The Household
Minbak (n.) a lodging in a private home
Three generations of women living together in one room with a lifetime of secrets between them.
London, 2008: When her husband dies unexpectedly, Hana is left with a pile of debt and no way to pay it off. With her teenage daughter Ada and her declining mother Yuna relying on her, she has no choice but to move her family into one room, opening up the rest of their home to paying guests as a minbak.
Korea, 1985. Hana was in the same place; running a minbak with her mother and making some life-altering mistakes. Living with Yuna again brings back long-archived secrets for Hana, and, eventually, the truth of what happened over twenty years ago comes erupting to the surface. Eventually, the three women are forced to confront how little they know about each other, and whether it will bring them closer or break them apart.
Minbak (n.) a lodging in a private home
Three generations of women living together in one room with a lifetime of secrets between them.
London, 2008: When her husband dies unexpectedly, Hana is left with a pile of debt and no way to pay it off. With her teenage daughter Ada and her declining mother Yuna relying on her, she has no choice but to move her family into one room, opening up the rest of their home to paying guests as a minbak.
Korea, 1985. Hana was in the same place; running a minbak with her mother and making some life-altering mistakes. Living with Yuna again brings back long-archived secrets for Hana, and, eventually, the truth of what happened over twenty years ago comes erupting to the surface. Eventually, the three women are forced to confront how little they know about each other, and whether it will bring them closer or break them apart.
About the author
Ela Lee was born in 1995 and is a British-Korean-Turkish writer. She studied Law at the University of Oxford and went on to practise as a City lawyer. In 2021, during the global pandemic, Ela began work on her debut novel, JADED, which explores themes of consent, race, and identity. She lives in London, with her partner and their mini Aussie Shepherd.
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