Blog Tour: The Noh Family by Grace K Shim (Interview!)

Happy Thursday and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for THE NOH FAMILY! I’m so excited because today I have an interview with Grace K. Shim to share with you! This book is truly amazing and I’m so excited to for you to find out more about it!

The Noh Family by Grace K. Shim
Published on May 3, 2022 by Kokila
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, YA
Pages: 384
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Author Links: Website, Twitter, Goodreads, Instagram

When her friends gift her a 23-and-Me test as a gag, high school senior Chloe Kang doesn't think much of trying it out. She doesn't believe anything will come of it--she's an only child, her mother is an orphan, and her father died in Seoul before she was even born, and before her mother moved to Oklahoma. It's been just Chloe and her mom her whole life. But the DNA test reveals something Chloe never expected--she's got a whole extended family from her father's side half a world away in Korea. Her father's family are owners of a famous high-end department store, and are among the richest families in Seoul. When they learn she exists, they are excited to meet her. Her mother has huge reservations, she hasn't had a great relationship with her husband's family, which is why she's kept them secret, but she can't stop Chloe from travelling to Seoul to spend two weeks getting to know the Noh family.
Chloe is whisked into the lap of luxury, but something feels wrong. Chloe wants to shake it off--she's busy enjoying the delights of Seoul with new friend Miso Dan, the daughter of one of her mother's grade school friends. And as an aspiring fashion designer, she's loving the couture clothes her department store owning family gives her access to. But soon Chloe will discover the reason why her mother never told her about her dad's family, and why the Nohs wanted her in Seoul in the first place. Could joining the Noh family be worse than having no family at all?

What would you do if you spent the day with Chloe? Where would you go to eat, hang out, relax, etc.?

This is an easy question—I would definitely hang out with Chloe at a jjimjilbang all day. Jjimjilbang is a Korean traditional sauna that has different hot tubs, steam rooms, and shower facilities that are gender segregated and also a unisex area for eating, lounging, and relaxing. They are featured in a lot of K-dramas these days and are open 24-hours for maximum relaxation. In an early version of The Noh Family, I had Chloe spend an afternoon at a jjimjilbang, experiencing the strangeness of it to someone who’s never been to one before. I think about the deleted scene often and would love to spend time with Chloe at a jjimjilbang all day, relaxing in the hot tubs, eating the delicious food in the unisex cafe, and even get one of those body scrub treatments that rub your skin raw! 

If Chloe were to hang out with other fictional characters, who would they be and why?

Penny from Emergency Contact. Both Penny and Chloe are itching to get out of their small hometowns for something bigger and both raised by single-moms who they had loving but complicated relationships with. I think Penny has an edge about her that is under-the-radar cool, so she could teach Chloe a thing or two about that. All in all, I think they would relate to each other and everyone needs a friend like that!

If there was one fictional place you could travel to for a day, where would it be and why?

Oooh, in Dial A For Aunties, there is a wedding that takes place on a fictional island off the coast of Southern California called Santa Lucia. It is described as this lush, tropical vacation destination that made me want to book my trip there as I was reading about it! 

If you buried a time capsule with three items inside, what three items would you choose and why?

I would of course include a copy of my debut, The Noh Family. I’m not only incredibly proud of the story, it’s a milestone in any author’s career that should be commemorated (you only debut once!). I would also include a current picture of my family (husband and three kids). My kids are at an age where I want to freeze time and wish that they could remain this age forever. So to put a current picture of them in a time capsule seems appropriate. The third thing I would put in the time capsule is my old laptop that just died on me (RIP). It’s very symbolic in that it marked the beginning of my writing career. When I told my husband I wanted to be a published author, he went out and bought me the laptop almost immediately. Having expired right as I’m about to release my debut seems timely, as if it held on long enough to see me find my success I had worked so hard for these years. RIP, dear friend. You have brought me so much joy <3

What was your favorite bit of research you ended up not using?

I mentioned earlier the jjimjilbang scene that was deleted. There was another deleted scene that took a fair amount of research with the intent to show off Chloe’s sewing skills combined with her first-aid knowledge she picked up from her mom’s influence. The deleted scene had Chloe stitching up a cut on Jin Young’s forehead using the thinnest sewing needle and a silk thread. Though it’s possible (medically speaking), my editor and I ultimately decided that this might be beyond an eighteen-year-old’s capability. 

What is your favorite quote, scene, or moment from The Noh Family?

My favorite scene from The Noh Family is the shopping spree Halmoni takes Chloe to. I think we all fantasize about our own Pretty Woman moment, where we’re given the royal treatment on a no-limit shopping spree. It was before the real drama ensued and peak excitement for Chloe. This scene was a lot of fun to write. 

Also, fav quote:

“[The Dramatic Pause] is like the Lee Min Ho of K-dramas; it never gets old.”

(Seriously, though, Lee Min Ho has not aged in his 20+ year acting career!)

What do you think about The Noh Family? Have you added it to your tbr yet? Let me know in the comments and have a splendiferous day!