Listen to a sample
Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop
- Author
- Hwang Bo-reum
- Narrator
- Rosa Escoda
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Publish Date
- 26 October 2023
- Run Time
- 8 hours 1 minute
- Format
- Audiobook
- Rating
- 3.9 (11 reviews)
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What to expect
**AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER**
WATERSTONES BEST FICTION BOOKS OF 2023 PICK
WOMAN & HOME NOVEMBER BOOK OF THE MONTH
iPaper TOP FICTION PICK
'An absolutely charming novel that all bookworms will adore' Red
'A balm for the soul and a glorious love letter to books and reading' iPaper
There was only one thing on her mind.
'I must start a bookshop.'
Yeongju did everything she was supposed to, go to university, marry a decent man, get a respectable job. Then it all fell apart. Burned out, Yeongju abandons her old life, quits her high-flying career, and follows her dream. She opens a bookshop.
In a quaint neighbourhood in Seoul, surrounded by books, Yeongju and her customers take refuge. From the lonely barista to the unhappily married coffee roaster, and the writer who sees something special in Yeongju - they all have disappointments in their past. The Hyunam-dong Bookshop becomes the place where they all learn how to truly live.
A heart-warming story about finding comfort and acceptance in your life – and the healing power of books.
'Delightful, reflective and heart-warming' Woman's Weekly
‘Profound and healing … a beautiful story at its heart’ Woman & Home
'An incredibly exciting debut novel. At once gentle and invigorating. I devoured it' Sarah Crossan, author of Here is the Beehive
Reader Reviews:
'Love love love this book! Cosy, heart warming, wholesome...Will be recommending this to everyone. It makes me smile when I think about it!'
'Such a beautiful book, I adored the story and characters, The writing style was gorgeous. 100% recommend.'
'A love letter to books, bookshops and all who love them'
'Such a warm and cosy read! Was completely here for it...and the appreciation for books was magical'
'A heart-warming cosy read that makes you think about how important it is to be happy, and that we can all find a place to call ‘home’.'
Critics Review
-
Profound and healing … a beautiful story at its heart
Book of the Month, Woman & Home
-
An incredibly exciting debut novel. At once gentle and invigorating. I devoured it
Sarah Crossan, author of Here is the Beehive
-
This was a word of mouth Korean sensation when it was first published and now translated into English it isn’t hard to see why. This novel is both a balm for the soul and a glorious love letter to books and reading
Top Fiction Pick, iPaper
-
A story that embraces its sentimentality
Observer
See more reviews See fewer reviews
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Quirky… It’s a tale about community and finding comfort in the small things
Monocle
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A real love letter to reading... wonderful
Good Housekeeping
-
Delightful, reflective and heart-warming … we challenge you not to fall in love with it
Woman's Weekly
-
All readers who love books about books will fall in love with this charming story
Prima
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This is a love letter to bookshops and to the people who find solace among their shelves … An absolutely charming novel that all bookworms will adore
Red
-
Reader Reviews:
-
'Love love love this book! Cosy, heart warming, wholesome...Will be recommending this to everyone. It makes me smile when I think about it!'
-
'Such a beautiful book, I adored the story and characters, The writing style was gorgeous. 100% recommend.'
-
'A love letter to books, bookshops and all who love them'
-
'Such a warm and cosy read! Was completely here for it...and the appreciation for books was magical'
-
'A heart-warming cosy read that makes you think about how important it is to be happy, and that we can all find a place to call ‘home’.'
User Reviews
Book 3.9
Narration 4.5
-
5.0 5.0
An enjoyable book that brought up some interesting ideas.
Rick M 2025-09-17 -
5.0 5.0
Great narration, thought-provoking story
musicatalina 2025-06-04 -
3.0 4.0
I finished the book but I didn't fully engage with it. There was a lot of information about coffee!
Treasure 2024-11-05 -
5.0 5.0
This is a wonderful book. I highly recommend it. It's like a giant hug you didn't know you needed
Greenkiwiinlondon 2024-09-01
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3.0 4.0
I tried very hard to finish this, and really kept going with it, but I found it a little too long with nothing but conversation. Other people may love it but it was just not quite right for me.
Judy & Chris 2024-08-14
Details
- Author
- Hwang Bo-reum
- Narrator
- Rosa Escoda
- Duration
- 8 hours 1 minute
- Release Date
- 26 October 2023
- ISBN
- 9781526662293
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Genre
- Fiction in translation, Narrative theme: identity / belonging
- Rating
- 3.9(11 reviews)
- Narration
- 4.5(11 reviews)
Synopsis
Bloomsbury presents Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum, read by Rosa Escoda.**AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER**WATERSTONES BEST FICTION BOOKS OF 2023 PICK WOMAN & HOME NOVEMBER BOOK OF THE MONTH iPaper TOP FICTION PICK'An absolutely charming novel that all bookworms will adore' Red'A balm for the soul and a glorious love letter to books and reading' iPaperThere was only one thing on her mind.'I must start a bookshop.'Yeongju did everything she was supposed to, go to university, marry a decent man, get a respectable job. Then it all fell apart. Burned out, Yeongju abandons her old life, quits her high-flying career, and follows her dream. She opens a bookshop.In a quaint neighbourhood in Seoul, surrounded by books, Yeongju and her customers take refuge. From the lonely barista to the unhappily married coffee roaster, and the writer who sees something special in Yeongju - they all have disappointments in their past. The Hyunam-dong Bookshop becomes the place where they all learn how to truly live.A heart-warming story about finding comfort and acceptance in your life – and the healing power of books.'Delightful, reflective and heart-warming' Woman's Weekly‘Profound and healing … a beautiful story at its heart’ Woman & Home 'An incredibly exciting debut novel. At once gentle and invigorating. I devoured it' Sarah Crossan, author of Here is the Beehive Reader Reviews:'Love love love this book! Cosy, heart warming, wholesome...Will be recommending this to everyone. It makes me smile when I think about it!' 'Such a beautiful book, I adored the story and characters, The writing style was gorgeous. 100% recommend.''A love letter to books, bookshops and all who love them''Such a warm and cosy read! Was completely here for it...and the appreciation for books was magical''A heart-warming cosy read that makes you think about how important it is to be happy, and that we can all find a place to call ‘home’.'
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