Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop - Hwang Bo-Reum ☕📚

 

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.

„Despite falling short of expectations, could a book, if enjoyed, be considered a good read?”

Yeongju is basically living the dream - she left her non-loving husband, quit her soulless job and opened a bookshop slash cafe where she built the best girl friendship group.

This is my first time reading a healing fiction novel so I had no expectations, I was just trying out a new genre. My first thought was - yes, this is definitely healing :D The characters overcome problems, they build friendships, the setting is cozy and everything ends up just fine. My second thought was - this type of book could easily bore me if I’m not invested in the characters’ lives. Luckily, I cared so much about Yeongju and all her shop friends that I couldn’t wait to find out their backstory and what happens to them.

When it comes to plot, this book doesn’t exactly have it. The only way I could describe it would be like if I started watching a new TV show but I started from the 2.nd season, episode 3 and watched till 3rd season, ep 7. Basically, you stumble into the character’s lives without knowing how they got there, or what they want (but you learn most of this in the second half of the book when they build friendships and open up to each other), and you don’t get to see exactly where they end up, just the general thought.

The writing style was phenomenal. I couldn’t stop underlining gorgeous quotes about books, writing or life in general.

„Reading makes you deviate further from the textbook definition of success because books don’t make us go ahead of or above anyone else; they guide us to stand alongside others.”

While I would recommend this book in general, I think you’ll only enjoy it if you’re truly in the mood for a slice of life, VERY slow paced book that’s mostly gorgeous quotes and behind-the-scenes of running a bookshop.