Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop cover art

Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Try for £0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop

By: Hwang Bo-reum, Shanna Tan - translator
Narrated by: Rosa Escoda
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

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' 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

©2023 Hwang Bo-reum and Shanna Tan (P)2023 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
City Life Fiction Friendship Urban City Feel-Good Heartfelt
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

Suicide Thursday cover art
Four Seasons in Japan cover art
My Name Is Sam cover art
Mute cover art
So Late in the Day cover art
Blind Dates cover art
Magic Under the Mistletoe cover art
The Martins cover art
Bibliomaniac cover art
The Little Library on Cherry Lane cover art
A Modern Family cover art
Your Perfect Year cover art
At the End of the Matinee cover art
Summer on the Italian Lakes cover art
The Wife's Choice cover art
Otherhood cover art

What listeners say about Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    51
  • 4 Stars
    27
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    56
  • 4 Stars
    23
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    49
  • 4 Stars
    26
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Comforting and heartwarming

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It exudes comfort, tranquility, and warmth. The narratives and characters beautifully convey the message that personal happiness and life fulfillment are not bound by societal norms. While the idea may seem commonplace, the book serves as a poignant reminder that many tend to overlook.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Gentle Listen

I enjoyed listening to the gentle considerate nature of this story and the interesting characters

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Calming evening read

Just a nice little story about a book shop and the people who's lives it touches. Narators voice is very soothing great evening wind down book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Can describe how comforting this book was

I truly enjoyed this book and especially in winter the idea of a warm book shop was really comforting

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A very real story.

A book that feels like reading a slice of nonfiction, with characters that feel warm and real this book is such a cosy read for a cold winter's day.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The ultimate comfort reading for booklovers!

I loved this book and am going to purchase the paper version to reread some favourite passages.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

I wanted to like it ...

... but I just can't. Nothing much happens, every apparent new lead in the story trails into philosophical meandering, there seems to be no forward momentum. I wonder if some of the wooden-ness of the tone comes from the English translation? Maybe there are cultural references I am missing ... but I just cannot finish this. The narrator is good, but I suspect the story is hamstrung by an awkward translation.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Comforting book

I really enjoyed the starting themes of what reading is about. I learned a lot about why you should read and what it takes to be a reader. The story is comforting and leaves simple mysteries with fulfilling answers. Love this book :)

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing

It was an easy to listen to book but it kept me thinking about the characters after I stopped listening.

Loved the book and hope the author does another book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Slice of life adventure in the world of bookshops and books in general

A beautiful love letter to books, bookshops and the necessity of taking a breather from taking life too seriously.

Its a bit of an acquired taste, very Far East Asian in type, because you don't really have slice-of-life as a Western genre. I'm glad it did get the publicity and the translation for the Western market, though, because this entire book feels like a warm hug. A cosy moment in a cosy place where you can settle down and watch life go by for a little while.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!