Description
When Ji-eun Lee loses her high-powered job as an editor in Seoul, she goes back to the old streets of Hyunam-dong to take care of her sick mother and find out what to do next. Ji-eun is drawn to the soothing light of a shop window and ends up in front of Book & Blossom, a little used bookstore operated by the kind and mysterious Mr. Choi, who is in his 80s. Ji-eun feels something strange as soon as she walks in: the shelves full of well-read books appear to hum with stories that go beyond their pages.
Ji-eun takes up a dog-eared novel about Seoul in the 1950s on her first visit. There is only one handwritten line in the margin that says, “You are braver than you think.” That note talks directly to her own misgivings about leaving her great job and going back home. Ji-eun is confused and curious, so she asks Mr. Choi how the book “knew” what she needed. He just smiles and says, “Sometimes the stories choose their readers.”
Ji-eun is forced to come back, and each time she finds a new book that is strangely relevant to her life. It could be a poetry collection that reflects her loss, a classic romance that brings back long-lost hope, or a memoir on caregiving that gives her surprising advice. As time goes on, she starts to find her own voice again. She draws narrative ideas in the margins of the blank notebooks that are all over her flat.
Book & Blossom quickly becomes the heart of the neighborhood, bringing together a diverse group of people:
Park Hyun-soo was a painter who had a lot of potential but gave up after failing in public. A worn-out art book brings him back to his easel, where he gets new ideas from Ji-eun’s café-style gatherings.
Young-mi is a widower elementary school teacher whose sadness keeps her alone. A worn-out children’s fairy tale book gives her the guts to establish a weekly storytelling hour at the library, which reignites her love of helping kids use their imaginations.
Daehan is a college freshman who is burdened by what his family wants him to do. He hides behind a shield of detective thrillers. A vintage mystery book helps him face his concerns and talk about his dreams honestly.
Mrs. Kim, the grandma in the area who is known for her kimchi but is sad about her husband who died. A cookbook full of her late husband’s handwritten notes becomes a way to recover and bring back family recipes that are important to her.
As winter goes on, the neighborhood comes together to rescue Book & Blossom from being torn down and rebuilt. Residents get together to hold pop-up readings, art displays, and tea parties to raise money under the shop’s old sign. The small alleys are covered with white snow. Ji-eun gets authors to read their work live, Daehan makes digital flyers, and Young-mi gets her kids to tell shadow puppet stories in the shop’s snug back room. Even though Hyun-soo is bashful, he puts on a surprise show of lighthouse paintings based on the bedtime stories his grandmother told him.
The book celebrates the enchantment of words and the strength of community via every funny mistake, like when a wayward cat knocks over an entire bookshelf, and every sad admission, like when Mr. Choi admits that he opened the store to honor his late wife’s love of books. Ji-eun learns that healing frequently starts when we allow stories touch our hearts, just like other people’s stories can find a home in us.
A severe winter storm threatens to hurl Hyunam-dong into darkness in the climactic finale. Ji-eun and her friends burn lanterns in the alley, guiding neighbors who are stuck to the warm glow of Book & Blossom. The gusts are so strong that they are blowing them all over the place. As they huddle inside, sipping cocoa with cinnamon and looking through the books they saved, Ji-eun realizes that she has found more than just a new job. She has found a family of friends and a purpose that goes beyond any job title.
Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop is a bright tribute to new beginnings, the joy of reading, and how tiny acts of kindness can make a big difference. Hwang Bo-reum’s poetic writing and lighthearted humor remind us that the most important changes often happen in the simplest of ways, like opening a book and finding the words that speak to your heart.
About the Author
Hwang Bo‑reum is a South Korean author celebrated for her warmth of storytelling and subtle touch of magic realism. A graduate of Seoul National University’s Korean Literature program, her short stories have garnered literary awards in Korea. Welcome to the Hyunam‑dong Bookshop marks her international debut, winning praise for its compassionate portrayal of ordinary lives illuminated by the love of books.
Product Details
- Title: Welcome to the Hyunam‑dong Bookshop
- Author: Hwang Bo‑reum
- ISBN-13: 9781639736379
- Publisher: Flatiron Books
- Published: June 10, 2025
- Pages: 336
- Binding: Paperpack
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