Sang-Eun Lee Bukaty

Sang-Eun Lee Bukaty was born in Seoul, (Japan-occupied) Korea, in 1945 to a wealthy and highly educated politician father and an equally distinct mother as the youngest daughter of five children. Her father earned his Masters degree at Columbia University and her mother graduated from the Women's Teachers College of Nara in Japan.

After the Korean War, Sang-Eun and her family returned to Seoul from living as refugees in Pusan. As a teenager, Sang-Eun became an accomplished cellist and came to America at the age of twenty with a dream of being a famous concert cellist.

Although she graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in Music Performance in Cello in 1969, she abandoned her dream and got married and devoted her life to raising three daughters. When her youngest daughter was eight years old, Sang-Eun divorced her demanding Korean husband.

Upon realizing that many Korean-American mothers' stories have never been told, she took a first step in writing her story at the age of 58. Grace Notes chronicles her experience of the Korean War, family traditions and living through two cultures and most importantly, her realization that God was with her through all of her trials.

Sang-Eun also believes, in this constantly changing world, the only thing that solidifies the second generation's identity is to know their cultural heritage, roots and traditions.

In an interview with the Orange County Register, Sang-Eun said, "Writing is therapeutic. As you write, vague and faint memories become clear and clear memories become vivid. It gives you a chance to re-examine your life and learn from it."

She lives in Newport Beach, California with her husband, Daniel. 


With her friends and family, she goes by Sang Bukaty.

Grace Notes is her first publication.