Cover design: Young Jin Lim
“A wondrous, compelling, and insightful portrait of a North Dakota town as it struggles through a present-day oil boom. We may tire of hearing we live in an America of complicated times, but Jung Yun’s grand novel has something special and powerful to add, something that splendidly rises above the din. Her novel is a grand and stunning piece of work, at times humorous, sad, and breathtaking.”
“The story of a town buckling under the weight of an oil boom and the newly-minted reporter who comes home to document its struggles, O Beautiful has all the propulsiveness of a mystery, but the stakes go far beyond any single crime. With echoes of Egan and Gaitskill, Yun gives us a down-on-her-luck heroine who uncovers more than she bargained for about a place’s secrets, her own past, and the lie of America itself.”
“O Beautiful is both an intimate look at one life and a fearless exploration of the biggest issues of our time, from capitalism to environmental degradation, white supremacy to sex and power. With a shrewd eye and sharp sense of humor, Yun finds in the familiar tale of one woman’s return to her small town roots a story as big as the nation itself.”