This collection of eight stories-cynical and sympathetic by turns-represents the author's attempt to document and understand the conflicts, resentments, hatreds, and anxieties of contemporary family life. The title story depicts a mother's busy day playing numerous roles-ashamed, fearless, or humble-depending on which member of her family she's tending to. In The Privacy of My Father, a daughter tracks her father to Hong Kong in order to spy on what she thinks is an illicit affair. All in all, says Seo Hajin, family means deception-but these masks aren't so easily removed.