百万富翁的免费食物 (2007)

Free Food for Millionaires is a 2007 novel by Korean American writer, Min Jin Lee. It was named one of the Top 10 Novels of the Year by The Times, a notable novel by the San Francisco Chronicle, a New York Times Editor's Choice, and was a selection for the Wall Street Journal Juggler Book Club.

The book is about a young Korean-American woman who graduates from college, and is determined to find a place in New York high society, despite having no money or job. The novel captures the tension between Korean cultural expectations and modern America.

In 2017, Lee published another novel, Pachinko, which was subsequently adapted into a TV series.

Synopsis

Book I: Works

Casey Han has just graduated from Princeton University and returned to live with her Korean immigrant parents, Joseph and Leah, and her younger sister Tina, in their small apartment in Elmhurst, Queens. While Casey is intelligent, she struggles with her impulsive spending habits and lack of direction, and she has yet to find a job. Casey’s independence, love of luxuries, and liberal attitudes towards sex clash with her frugal and religious parents. However, her lack of family wealth prevents her from fitting in with her moneyed classmates at Princeton, such as her best friend Virginia Craft. Frustrated with Joseph’s constant criticism of her, Casey argues with her father, causing him to strike her and throw her out of the apartment.

Casey leaves for her boyfriend Jay Currie’s apartment but discovers him mid-tryst with two other women. By chance, she encounters Ella Shim, a kindhearted and wealthy childhood acquaintance. Ella lets Casey stay at her apartment, since Casey has nowhere else to live. At Ella’s request, her fiance Ted Kim reluctantly helps Casey interview for a sales assistant position at Kearn Davis, the prestigious Wall Street firm where he works. Casey lands the position and befriends her colleagues Hugh Underhill, a playboy broker in her department, and Delia Shannon, an attractive assistant that many men at Kearn Davis lust after.

Ella attempts to introduce Casey to her cousin Unu Shim, but Jay tracks down Casey and attempts to apologize. Angered at Jay, Casey punches him in the face. They reconcile and move in together, agreeing to eventually marry. In her free time, Casey begins taking millinery classes and making hats as a hobby.

Leah finds Casey at Jay’s apartment and speaks with her, pleading with her to apologize to Joseph and return home. While Jay has always wanted to meet Casey’s parents, Casey knows they will not approve of her dating a non-Korean and has never told them about him, a persistent source of tension in their relationship. Against Casey’s wishes, Jay introduces himself to Leah, who is shocked that Casey is dating and living with a white man. During Ella and Ted’s wedding reception, Jay attempts to introduce himself to Joseph, though it is clear Joseph does not want to speak with him. Joseph disapproves of Jay and finds Jay’s behavior disrespectful, causing an altercation. Upset with Jay and unable to see a future with him, Casey breaks up with him and moves into a studio apartment.

Book II: Plans

To make rent, Casey resumes her former part time job as a hat and accessories saleswoman at Sabine’s, a luxury department store run by her mentor Sabine Jun Gottesman. Casey earns additional money by selling the hats she makes at the store. Sabine frequently offers to help Casey with her career and provides her with expensive gifts, but Casey often refuses Sabine’s assistance because she is worried about becoming indebted to her.

Ella sees a doctor about her difficult pregnancy and discovers she has contracted herpes. When Ella confronts Ted, he confesses that he had an affair with Delia, a colleague at Kearn Davis and Casey’s friend. The normally polite and reserved Ella excoriates Ted for his infidelity. Despite Ella’s fears, their daughter Irene is born healthy.

While golfing at a business conference, Casey coincidentally encounters Ella’s cousin Unu, who works at another bank. Unu is divorced and plans to never marry again, but he and Casey are drawn to each other and begin a relationship. Since Casey is worried about saving money and paying off her credit card debts, Unu asks her to move in with him.

Casey’s sister Tina marries her college boyfriend, Chul Baek. At Tina’s wedding, Ella tells Casey that Delia and Ted have both been fired from Kearn Davis after they were caught hooking up at the office, and that Ella plans to leave Ted. Ella acts strangely at the reception and faints, having overdosed on codeine due to the stress of her impending divorce.

Casey accepts a place at NYU Stern business school, refusing to use Sabine’s connections to get into Columbia. At Casey’s going away party, Delia apologizes for her role in Ella and Ted’s divorce, and Hugh attempts to seduce Casey, though she rejects him. Unu is laid off from his job. Casey notices his increasing gambling and debts, becoming stressed about their finances despite Unu’s reassurances. In search of a high-paying summer internship to pay off her debts, she resorts to calling in a favor with Hugh to land an interview at Kearn Davis’ internship program.

Book III: Grace

In divorce proceedings, Ted fights for half custody of their daughter Irene, deeply upsetting Ella. David Greene, Ella’s longtime friend and coworker, confesses his feelings to Ella and breaks off his engagement to another woman. Ella reciprocates David’s feelings, and they begin seeing each other.