Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop
The heart-warming Korean sensation
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4.4 • 22 Ratings
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- £9.99
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- £9.99
Publisher Description
WATERSTONES BEST FICTION BOOKS OF 2023 PICK
WOMAN & HOME NOVEMBER BOOK OF THE MONTH
iPaper TOP FICTION PICK
'An absolutely charming novel that all bookworms will adore' Red
'A balm for the soul and a glorious love letter to books and reading' iPaper
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.
'Delightful, reflective and heart-warming' Woman's Weekly
'Profound and healing … a beautiful story at its heart' Woman & Home
'An incredibly exciting debut novel. At once gentle and invigorating. I devoured it' Sarah Crossan, author of Here is the Beehive
Reader Reviews:
'Love love love this book! Cosy, heart warming, wholesome...Will be recommending this to everyone. It makes me smile when I think about it!'
'Such a beautiful book, I adored the story and characters, The writing style was gorgeous. 100% recommend.'
'A love letter to books, bookshops and all who love them'
'Such a warm and cosy read! Was completely here for it...and the appreciation for books was magical'
'A heart-warming cosy read that makes you think about how important it is to be happy, and that we can all find a place to call 'home'.'
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
A surface-level glance could fool you into thinking that this a cosy, cutesy read—the perfect comfort choice to soothe a ruffled soul. And it’s true that there is ultimately much comfort to be had from this quiet, clever, deceptively slight novel. But the opening pages sound a warning: Yeongju, alone in her bright, shiny new bookshop, desperate for customers but exuding such sadness that no one wants to set foot inside. Through the motley crew that is eventually drawn to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop, Hwang deftly links their struggles: the casual cruelty of a job market that promises rewards for hard work but holds them endlessly, mockingly out of reach; the loss of individuality in a suffocatingly conformist education system; the loneliness of women in marriage. And for each of them the bookshop comes to hold the promise of a different way of living, where the solitary act of reading is transformed into a joyous, communal experience where all can find solidarity.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A bestseller in South Korea, Bo-Reum's English-language debut is a tranquil if meandering slice of life. Yeongju leaves behind a high-pressure job to open a bookstore with a coffee bar in a residential neighborhood in Seoul. Though the store is her dream come true, she spends the first few months struggling to overcome her lingering anxiety, and slips into a reading slump. Once she comes out of her funk, she bonds with the people who find their way to the store. Among them are her barista Minjun, who's obsessed with brewing the perfect cup, and Jimi, the coffee roaster who mentors him. Mincheol, an unmotivated student, gains a newfound interest in reading from Yeongju's recommendations. As Yeongju continues opening up to others, she helpes promote the store by writing a book review column and running a seminar. Though some characters and relationships evolve, the novel is structured primarily as a series of vignettes (an interview with an author; a book club discussion). Despite the lack of a cohesive plot or linear character development, the prolonged philosophical considerations of reading, community, happiness, and the meaning of work offer moments of reflection and observation. Bo-Reum pleasantly evokes the feeling of spending an afternoon in a favorite bookstore.
