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A heartwarming bestselling debut novel from South Korea about the power of books to heal, as a woman leaves her busy life in Seoul to open a book café in the countryside

WELCOME TO SOYANGRI BOOK KITCHEN

In a quaint village, nestled outside the bustling heart of Seoul, lies a book-lovers paradise. With its wafts of delicious food and book-filled shelves Soyangri Book Kitchen is dotingly managed by its plucky proprietor Yoojin. Her aim? To create a sanctuary, for weary souls like her own.

But the Book Kitchen is more than just a place to eat or read, it’s a place which offers its guests a true escape, not just inside the pages of its many books, but in the warm embrace of an overnight ‘Book Stay’.

Over the course of a year, seven individuals, each at a crossroads in their lives, find their way to Yoojin’s Book Kitchen. Among them is Da-In, a music idol grappling with an identity crisis. Sohee, a promising lawyer confronted with a daunting medical diagnosis, and Soohyuk, a young musical director whose dreams have been stifled by failure.

As they arrive in Soyangri, each character finds their lives subtly transformed by the magic found in its pages and the kindness of its people.

© Kim Jee Hye 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025