Book Review: Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum

 

Hwang Bo-Reum. Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop. 


Do most bibliophiles at some point or another dream of owning and operating an independent bookstore? The main character, Yeongju, is a lifelong reader, who came to a point in her life where she needed a significant change. She is recently divorced and also quit her corporate job that earned her a comfortable life but not much joy. She decides to open an independent bookstore that also serves good coffee in a neighborhood called Hyunam-Dong which is where the name of the bookshop comes from. Her goal is to make the bookshop a place for literary and intellectual discoveries and nurturing relationships. 


The strength of the book are the conversations around themes of happiness, joy, fulfillment, role and limits of family expectations, friendships, necessity and limits of work, and identity. The book is set in Korea and written in Korean language. The books referenced are both Korean and English speaking authors. I was amazed by the number of citations of American authors. 

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