The Great Read: Min Jin Lee Was Underestimated for Half Her Life. Then She Started to Write.
A torch bearer for the great 19th-century tradition of social realism, she’s become one of the most important novelists of her generation.
The New York Times
The Great Read
September 28, 2026, 2:01 p.m. Eastern time

On weekdays and Sundays, we recommend one piece of exceptional writing from The Times — a narrative or essay that takes you someplace you might not expect to go.

A black-and-white photograph of Min Jin Lee.

Ruvén Afanador for The New York Times

Min Jin Lee Was Underestimated for Half Her Life. Then She Started to Write.

A torch bearer for the great 19th-century tradition of social realism, she’s become one of the most important novelists of her generation.

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