Translations of Beauty

by Mia Yun

"Mia Yun maps the relationship of twin sisters Inah and Yunah from their early childhood in South Korea to growing up in Queens, New York. At the center of "Translations of Beauty" is the terrible childhood accident that disfigured Inah for life, and the overwhelming sadness and guilt Yunah feels at having been spared. It opens with Yunah, now twenty-eight, flying out to Italy to "rescue" Inah who, in her struggle to find her way, has drifted away from her family. Thrown together again after so much time, long-ago joys and heartaches are stirred, and the twins find their relationship tested as they are forced to confront unresolved issues." "It is the account of growing up in America as immigrant children, dealing with the painful reality of Inah's disfigured face and trying to find their individual identities while negotiating their relationship with each other; of their family's struggle to stay whole as years of collective struggles and colliding dreams and values take a toll on eac