Multiple Perspectives Literary Courtroom Drama : Book Reflection of Miracle Creek

Photo of the cover of Miracle Creek by Angie Kim on an iPad.

Title: Miracle Creek

Author: Angie Kim

Genre: fiction contemporary literary mystery thriller

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Miracle Creek by Angie Kim is a literary courtroom drama told from multiple perspectives, following the mystery of who is behind the explosion of the Miracle Submarine (a Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) Chamber) that results in injury and death.

HBOT is a pressurized oxygen chamber commonly used for treatments like carbon monoxide poisoning and wound healing, but it has also been explored as an experimental treatment for conditions like autism, cerebral palsy, and infertility. In the book, families are seeking this alternative therapy with hope, which makes the tragedy of the explosion even worse.

I liked the complexity of the characters and how Angie Kim gave just enough development for each one without overdoing it. There was the Yoo family, Korean immigrants and owners of Miracle Submarine and their patients the Thompson/Cho Family, The Ward Family, The Santiago Family and trail participants. I also loved that this book had a cast of characters list to make sure the reader kept everyone straight. This was my first courtroom drama and Kim’s writing flowed so easily that I felt like I was watching a TV series, always wanting to read just one more chapter. What stood out most were the raw thoughts of parents of the special-needs children, their exhaustion, the mental battles, the shame and the many opinions on what it means to do right by your child. Even as someone without children, it made me deeply reflect on how quickly we judge how others parent.

I loved in interviews hearing Kim’s real-life experiences that inspired parts of the book, from her experience as a Korean immigrant and trial lawyer to her own journey with HBOT with her son, made the story even richer.

One thing that has stayed with me is the reminder that comparison is the thief of joy. Watching characters judge each other for doing too much or too little for their children felt painfully real and very human.

I recommend this book for anyone who loves thought-provoking perspectives and likes to put themselves in a character’s shoes and ask, what would I do?

- Maya & The Spine Down