Written by Hwang Bo-Reum, translated by Shanna Tan
Summary
Yeongju is burned out. With her high-flying career, demanding marriage, and bustling life in Seoul, she knows she should feel successful—but all she feels is drained. Haunted by an abandoned dream, she takes a leap of faith and leaves her old life behind. Quitting her job and divorcing her husband, Yeongju moves to a quiet residential neighborhood outside the city and opens the Hyunam-dong Bookshop.
The transition isn’t easy. For months, all Yeongju can do is cry. But as the long hours in the shop stretch on, she begins to reflect on what makes a good bookseller and a meaningful store. She throws herself into reading voraciously, hosting author events, and crafting her own philosophy on bookselling. Gradually, Yeongju finds her footing in her new surroundings.
Surrounded by friends, writers, and the books that bind them, Yeongju begins to write a new chapter in her life. The Hyunam-dong Bookshop evolves into a warm, welcoming haven for lost souls—a place to rest, heal, and remember that it’s never too late to scrap the plot and start over.
My Review
Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop is a cosy, calming story that oozes both of those vibes. I read in a Goodreads review that this type of story is known as “healing fiction” and is an intentionally slow-paced story that follows a number of characters. I think the author, Hwang Bo-Reum, nailed the vibe – intentionally slow-paced – and I enjoyed it. My mum is a big fan of this type of story too and when talking about it once, we decided the reason we both enjoy it is because of the fly-on-the-wall, peek-into-someone-else’s-life vibes. I’m super nosey generally so being able to see into Yeongju’s life, and the lives of her friends, was interesting – especially when you notice that the struggles the characters are facing reflect the struggles that people in the real world and in different countries around the world are facing.
I particularly liked the characters’ storylines, I liked learning more about them. And I think Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop does a good job of giving you enough details about a character that you feel that you know them and can empathise with them, but it doesn’t overdo it and make you feel like you’ve been bombarded with every thought the person has ever had. I also enjoyed the relationship dynamics withing the group of characters – people of different genders, in different stages of life, with different experiences, different jobs, and so on – and how they were brought together via Yeongju’s bookshop. I felt like these relationships reflected the real world, showing it’s not uncommon to have something in common with someone who’s older than you or generally has different interests than you. I felt like the story focused on similarities, and how they can bring people together.
My favourite character was the barista, Minjun. I enjoyed seeing him discover his genuine love and passion for great coffee and I liked his growth as a person. He started off as a bit of a negative Nelly, not really inspired or engaged in life, didn’t really have any friends, didn’t have any dreams. But through his barista job at the bookshop, he discovered what he enjoyed and (as cheesy as it sounds) turned things around, took a more positive approach to his life, and started to life his life in the way that he actually wanted to. I think Minjun’s ability to reflect on the parts of his life where he hadn’t been such a good friend and his humility in owning up to this and rectifying it by reaching out to a friend who he’d ignored for quite some time was an endearing part of his character. I find it impressive, even in a fictional story, when people realise they’ve maybe not done the right thing, own up to it, and take action to rectify the things they believe need rectifying.
I supposed my only criticism about the storyline was the relationship between Yeongju, who owns the bookshop, and Seungwoo, an expert on Korean language and Yeongju’s sort of love interest. I generally enjoyed their relationship as it was blossoming, it was sweet and kind. But I didn’t really like the fact that after pouring his heart out to Yeongju, Seungwoo basically said “I’ll wait for you” and Yeongju didn’t really ever then give him a firm “Yes, do that and we can eventually be together” or “No, don’t do that, I don’t want a romantic relationship with you.” I felt like Yeongju’s non-answer to Seungwoo’s statement was a bit wishy-washy and didn’t really leave either character space to make a pressure-free decision about moving into a romantic relationship or give them the space to move on and meet other people. Writing it out, this feels like a rather niche criticism of the story but I stand by it and think that the story would have been just as charming if the whole potentially-a-romantic-relationship storyline hadn’t come up.
Shanna Tan translated Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop from Korean. It read easily and smoothly, and felt soothing and calm – presumably reflecting the original – and fits perfectly with my understanding and interpretation of “healing fiction”.
As usual, I read the author’s note in the back of the book and found the reason why she wrote Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop really interesting:
I wanted to write what I want to read. Stories of people who find their own pace and direction, of people who believe in others and wait by their side as they do through difficult times, lost in worry. Stories of those who support others, who celebrate small efforts and resolve in a society that puts people – and everything about them – down once they take a fall. Stories that bring comfort, providing a pat on the shoulder for those who’ve lost the joy in life, having pushed themselves too hard to do well.
And I think the aspect I enjoyed most about this story was the celebration of the small things, the support the characters showed one another, and the feeling of comfort the story did bring while reading it. I really enjoyed Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop and give it 4 stars.
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