eBook, 320 pages
English language
Published Oct. 26, 2023 by Bloomsbury Publishing.
There was only one thing on her mind.
'I must start a bookshop.'
Yeongju did everything she was supposed to, go to university, marry a decent man, get a respectable job. Then it all fell apart. Burned out, Yeongju abandons her old life, quits her high-flying career, and follows her dream. She opens a bookshop.
In a quaint neighbourhood in Seoul, surrounded by books, Yeongju and her customers take refuge. From the lonely barista to the unhappily married coffee roaster, and the writer who sees something special in Yeongju - they all have disappointments in their past. The Hyunam-dong Bookshop becomes the place where they all learn how to truly live.
A heart-warming story about finding comfort and acceptance in your life – and the healing power of books.
Just finished reading this and still am collecting my thoughts.
This is not my usual kind of read. I did pick it up because it was supposed to be a cosy read and I needed one.
What I’m left with is a sadness though.
Not much happens in the book. It’s like watching a lake on a wind-stilled day. After a while, the view does become boring even if it’s still as beautiful.
This is not my usual type of read - in fact, I almost put it down early on, but then I identified so hard with the first Minjun chapter that I stuck with it.
It's very much like a version of Bookshops & Bonedust without the fantasy trappings and the larger plot - characters with a variety of personal issues come together around a bookshop.
It's well written (and well translated! which is not a given!) - what I'm really missing is something actually happening. The characters each go through their different journeys of personal discovery and/or growth, but nothing is materially different at the end of the book. 🤷
