Yolk

by Mary H. K. Choi

TW eating disorders & cancer

Yolk follows Jayne and June Baek, sisters who are estranged. Time, family, and circumstance keep them apart. Both women live in New York and end up meeting. When Jayne ends up needing a place to stay, June lets her move into her apartment. There, living together, the two sisters face each other and the secrets that they carry, both of themselves and their family. 

When I read the summary, I was first drawn to this book because of the sister dynamic. Their differences and similarities draw them apart and, when forced to interact again, draw them together. At about 100 pages in, it felt like their interactions were just starting. It was frustrating, to begin with, because the set up felt like it took so long but looking back on it now, I’m kind of glad the story was structured this way.
The reader really gets to know both Jayne and June before they know the sisters. As we get to know them this way, it brings new and deeper meaning to their interactions. Both feel real in their chaotic, messy, and at times irritating characteristics and decisions. Their identities are fractured. Between their past selves and now, their Korean heritage and their American heritage, and their desires versus expectations. 

Jayne struggles under the expectations of her family, with an eating disorder, and with financial insecurity. All of which lead to decisions that hurt herself and others. 

She doesn’t know how to live in many ways and restricts herself in order to gain some semblance of control. For example, we see Jayne restricting the emotions she's allowed to show others. She hides away from what she wants to say and many times stops herself from texting. It feels like she’s building a never ending wall to separate herself from the world. Jayne also restricts her eating. When her life spins out of control, Jayne uses food as a control. 

There are so many details and almost play-by-plays of what happens that may seem inconsequential at first but actually build the foundation of Jayne’s characteristics to create a foil between that control and chaos the audience can compare between. Choi masterfully unfolds the events in an unfiltered way to draw us in and keep us engaged. 

There is so much happening in the worlds of Jayne and June. It’s vibrant and harsh, and always unrelenting. As witness to it all, the stark contrast between reality and Jayne’s own attempts to control her narrative make it all the more tragic. This underlying chaos really propels the story forward and, once I hit the groove with the book, I didn’t want to put it down. 

June also struggles with reality. She finds out she may have cancer (spoiler) in the wake of losing her job, steals Jayne’s identity for insurance (end spoiler). Trying to keep up with appearances and expectations cause her to lie, steal, and isolate herself from her family. The reader sees this through Jayne’s point of view and because of that we see how others actions can affect people. Their mother also plays into this domino effect and we see how her choices affect both sisters. 

Choi says that Yolk “reflects the many ways in which so many young women, in particular, ‘betray their bodies’” in an interview. This betrayal is seen through both sisters in how they hide their illnesses and how they seek help for them - who they seek help from. The struggle was apparent and I couldn’t help but feel my heart go out to them, even, especially, in bad decisions. The body manifests itself physically but also delves into the emotions surrounding the body. There’s shame, fear, and hate surrounding it. There’s also connection, pleasure, and love, too. All of this spectrum is showcased wonderfully.

I started this book because of the sister dynamic and was not disappointed. Both of these characters had unlikeable characteristics but it was because of these that they felt human. Their interactions, both positive and negative, were messy and real but no matter how much they didn’t like each other it still felt like they would be there at the end of the day for the other. I do wish there was a bit more backstory but really felt the growth of each character and their relationship in the end. 

This book felt like a love letter to family; painful letters and all. Choi said the process of writing Yolk “was this protracted, incredibly arduous, very emotionally sensitive place to be inside of.” The reading experience felt the same way. Yolk brings out emotions and doesn’t shy away from a raw portrayal of what it means to be a second generation immigrant, a young woman, and a part of a family.