This book sees the author interviewing her relatives (parents, sisters, nephews) about their working lives with a focus on their finances. What emerges is a picture of South Korea's economy and labour market. It used to be possible for those from poorer backgrounds to rise, given enough hard work and careful/frugal living. That relationship between work and reward is gone completely in C21 Korea - now it's a struggle just to survive and the labour laws which should protect low-paid workers are not enforced so they continue to be exploited. It's a sad tale with no obvious solution because the reasons for poverty are structural which one person alone can't change. Here in the UK, we have similar challenges with high rents gobbling up most of a minimum wage job so its impossible for those in rented accommodation to save for a house/flat deposit. A timely and thought-provoking read. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I found this book to be a very interesting look into a family's generational relationship with money and work. That the author was interviewing their own family members gave the stories more weight and you could see how they are interconnected throughout the generations of the family. I would really recommend this for anyone who is interested in sociology, economics, and how structural poverty shapes families and communities.