A Gesture Life

The second novel from the critically acclaimed New York Times–bestselling author Chang-rae Lee.. His remarkable debut novel was called rapturous (The New York Times Book Review) revelatory (Vogue) and wholly innovative (Kirkus Reviews). It was the recipient of six major awards including the prestigious Hemingway Foundation/PEN award. Now Chang-rae Lee has written a powerful and beautifully crafted second novel that leaves no doubt about the extraordinary depth and range of his talent.. A Gesture Life is the story of a proper man an upstanding citizen who has come to epitomize the decorous values of his New York suburban town. Courteous honest hardworking and impenetrable Franklin Hata a Japanese man of Korean birth is careful never to overstep his boundaries and to make his neighbors comfortable in his presence. Yet as his story unfolds precipitated by the small events surrounding him we see his life begin to unravel. Gradually we learn the mystery that has shaped the core of his being: his terrible forbidden love for a young Korean Comfort Woman when he served as a medic in the Japanese army during World War II.. In A Gesture Life Chang-rae Lee leads us with dazzling control through a taut suspenseful story about love family and community—and the secrets we harbor. As in Native Speaker he writes of the ways outsiders conform in order to survive and the price they pay for doing so. It is a haunting breathtaking display of talent by an acclaimed young author.