For its October 9, 2026 episode, The Book Review from The New York Times brings together Min Jin Lee and Gilbert Cruz for a conversation about education, immigration, and the promises families invest in their children’s futures.
Podcast: NYT’s The Book Review
Participants: Min Jin Lee, in conversation with Gilbert Cruz
Released: October 9, 2026 · 57 minutes
Four books to explore
We feature the new novel at the center of the interview, Lee’s two earlier novels discussed in the conversation, and A House for Mr. Biswas, which Lee identifies as a favorite. This selection distinguishes the author’s own work from a book she praises; it is not a list of four equivalent endorsements.
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American Hagwon
A Korean family’s faith in education and upward mobility is tested by financial upheaval and immigration. Min Jin Lee examines what parents hope to secure for their children—and what community can offer when plans fail.
Pachinko
Four generations of a Korean family navigate life in Japan. Min Jin Lee’s family saga follows the choices, exclusions, work, and loyalties that shape lives across decades.
Free Food for Millionaires
Casey Han, a Princeton graduate and the daughter of Korean immigrants, tries to find a place in Manhattan’s expensive world. Ambition, money, family expectations, and belonging complicate her independence.
A House for Mr. Biswas
In Trinidad, Mohun Biswas struggles to establish a home and a life of his own amid the demands of an extended family. Naipaul makes a modest wish for independence the center of a large, often comic novel.
Books discussed in the episode*
The list below brings together books identified in the published episode description and a linked transcript-based book index. It includes the featured four as well as other works discussed; a mention does not necessarily indicate an endorsement.
- American Hagwon — Min Jin Lee
- Pachinko — Min Jin Lee
- Free Food for Millionaires — Min Jin Lee
- A House for Mr. Biswas — V. S. Naipaul
Lee also discusses a planned fourth novel, Marshall Plan. We have not treated an announced project as an available book.
*We aim to identify every book mentioned using the published episode description and the transcript-based index linked below. Neither source guarantees a complete list, and passing references may be missing. A mention does not necessarily indicate a recommendation.
Source: Publisher-supplied notes for NYT’s The Book Review on Apple Podcasts.
Additional reading-list source: Transcript excerpts and book index at Mentioned in Podcasts.
This is an independent reading guide, not affiliated with The New York Times or its podcasts.