For a light, easy read, Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum fits the bill.
After leaving a successful career that left her unfulfilled, Yeongju opened a bookshop in a quiet, off-the beaten path in a Seoul neighborhood. She has no business experience, but she does have a love of books and their ability to transport readers away from their daily lives.
Initially, she does little to make the shop inviting; she simply reads while waiting for customers. Slowly, she discovers what she needs to do. First, she writes a blog about the shop, then hires a barista, and eventually she begins hosting book-related events such as monthly book groups, writing workshops and more. Slowly patrons become regulars, each contributing in their own way, to create a sense of community none realized was missing from their lives.
In the process of Yeongju becoming more business savvy she opens herself to accepting more about herself. Toward this end, the author intersperses a little back story, not only about Yeongju, but the other characters, too, including the barista; a coffee roaster who sells the beans used in the shop but is in an unhappy marriage; a woman dissatisfied with her spends time among the books crocheting; a teen uninterested in anything; and, a writer invited to speak about his newly published book.
The narrative is observational and ultimately uplifting without being heavy handed, even if it does become predictable.
Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop
Three bookmarks
Bloomsbury Publishing, 2024
301 pages
The Blue Page Special 