Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop: A Novel

I was so excited to receive a copy of Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum. This book was translated from Korean into English very well and is an effortless read for all ages. The book centers around the owner of the bookshop, Lee Yeongju, a woman who has wanted to own a bookshop since she was a young girl. The book tells her story and that of the people she interacts with daily. Minjun is the barista Yeongju hires who immerses himself in the world of coffee and its beans. There is also a woman named Mincheol’s mother whose real name we don’t find out until the very end. Then, a woman who comes in and crochets and knits named Jungsuh is added to the mix. These people go on with their everyday routines and Yeongju does her best to grow the events and marketing for the bookshop. One of the events is to have book authors do a book talk. After inviting author Hyun Seungwoo, the story becomes a lot more exciting with talks about philosophy, the characters’ pasts, and what happiness means.

Overall, the story was a bit slow in the beginning, but when Seungwoo is introduced, Yeongju’s character starts to open up, and this is where the real story begins. This is a good read with a simple storyline that will make readers think about their own lives and what causes them happiness.