Docile: Memoirs of a Not-So-Perfect Asian Girl

This was a powerful read, providing a window into the authors struggles, joys, loss and growth. It moves quickly without feeling rushed and I was engaged throughout. Strongly recommend.

First, I think it was brave of Song to tackle the taboo of talking about mental illness in the context of an Asian American family. It's the most radical thing about the book as the rest of it trods familiar ground - Korean immigrant parents in pursuit of the American Dream, daughter wanting to meet high standards of excellence at school and struggling to fit in. I really enjoyed the beginning of the book, where the author talks about growing up in Texas and how her parents struggled financially.It's the middle of the book where I started to lose interest - she inexplicably sinks into a depression and then is sent off to Korea by her parents. Then she comes back and continues a downward slide that is helped only by therapy. I think about Prozac Nation when I read about how she gets so depressed but too much of this part of the book talks about academics. The preoccupation with academics led to dull writing and I couldn't wait to read about the love affairs instead.Overall a mixed bag but I salute the author for tackling a tough subject.

Docile is a memoir that helps the reader to understand the impact of being a first generation American while detailing the parental immigrant experience on a personal level. It is both eye-opening and heartbreaking. That storyline showed what it takes.But, perhaps more importantly, the storyline of dealing with undiagnosed mental health challenges is a true gift. Hyyeseung's struggles to find solace, help and and then use the determination to achieve a full and happy life is the compelling line throughout.I couldn't and didn't put this book down and was lucky to carry it with me on a long flight. What a story.

I could not put this book down until I finished it. It is so well written. Following the author through her journey to understand who she is and what she wants -- while being pushed and pulled by the expectations and dreams of others -- was a gift for my own self-understanding. Thank you for writing this book -- it will help others heal and find meaning and beauty in being in that zone between the black and white.

"Docile: Memoirs of a Not-So-Perfect Asian Girl" by Hyeseung Song pulled me in right from the start. Even though my background is pretty different from the author’s, her story of finding her way while dealing with mental health struggles really hit home for me. There were times when it felt like she was telling my story, too.Song’s writing is spot-on—precise but still packed with emotion. She captures her experiences in such a vivid and relatable way that I couldn’t put the book down. Honestly, reading this memoir was a bit of therapy for me; it fed my soul in ways I didn’t expect.If you’re looking for a good memoir, I highly recommend "Docile: Memoirs of a Not-So-Perfect Asian Girl." It’s an easy four stars from me, and I’m sure it’ll resonate with others as well.

This was a memoir from a woman who is Asian American, her parents emigrating from Korea decades ago. She recounts her early life growing up in Texas, how she was perceived in school and social settings, financial challenges of her parents, and their dogged insistence of her path to excellence through education. She was pressured to attend ivy league colleges and aspire to great heights and goals. However, she suffered occasionally with depressive episodes and could not get out of bed- even to the point of attempted suicide.My favorite parts of the book were where the author thrived living in New York City, her adopted home that seemed to feed and inspire her. I also enjoyed her revelation that in order to truly thrive she had to follow her own cues and be true to herself, and not necessarily follow the path directed by her parents. This was what I call a "quiet read"- a book that was pleasant enough to hold my interest and finish, but will probably forget about as the months go by.Thank you to the publisher Simon and Schuster for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

I bought the audiobook and listened to it in two days. The author's narration was extremely well done and the book itself was well written and compelling. I appreciated that there were no heroes and no victims in this book, that everyone was flawed and human. That is what I love most in a good memoir. While I am older and have a considerably different background than the author, much of her story resonated with me and I felt a lot of compassion for my past self by the end. It seemed she did too.

Korean American Hyeseung Song begins her memoir in the cane fields of Texas, where her father pursues big (and financially draining) schemes for striking it rich while her mother does double shifts to keep the family afloat. The memoir follows her to the suburbs of Houston, the Gothic spires of Princeton, and Harvard Yard–but this is not a memoir of a model minority “making good.” The memoir recounts Song’s turbulent relationships with her parents, but it goes far beyond an Asian American family story. It traces the story of Song’s coming into her own as a visual artist–but is much more than an Asian American artist’s bildungsroman. And, it tells of Song’s struggles with depression and mental health, but it is far more than a mental health story. Ultimately, it is the story of a woman’s journey to wholeness and self-worth.With rich language and scenes that pulled me right in, the memoir kept me turning the pages. I was continually drawn into the emotional world Song paints, always wanting to find out more and find out what would happen next. But most of all, I was inspired. I reconnected to my own sense of self-worth–that well of wholeness that exists beyond achievements and acceptance. This is a memoir well worth reading.