Damitri Boone

I listened to the audiobook. The translation is very good which makes it easy to be engaged with the story. The main character, Yeongju, is an independent bookstore owner, and describes herself as someone who is both introverted and extroverted. She lives alone and has a small circle of friends, and yet she owns a business that is “people-facing” on most days. Her character is quite relatable in that she has to balance her work life - dealing with staff (she has one barista), business partners (a coffee seller and publishers) and customers, and her quiet private. Although she prefers her quiet life, she does have relationship struggles with her mother, and therefore prefers her work life to keep her mind off her personal problems. It’s an enjoyable book that readers (or listeners) can find delight in and perhaps go discover and explore an independent bookstore in their local neighborhood.