This debut novel from Korean author Kim Jee Hye (recently translated by Shanna Tan) welcomes the reader into Soyangri Book Kitchen, a remote bookshop, cafe, and hotel deep in the countryside of Seoul that restores its visitors through the escape of reading and the kindness of its employees. It spans a year at the book kitchen, where in each chapter, owner Yoojin meets one of seven lost souls at a crossroads in their lives. Among them is a successful lawyer facing a worrying medical diagnosis, a struggling music director plagued by the expectations of his father, a celebrity who has lost her sense of self, and a woman who doesn’t feel ready for her thirties to begin. Although the many visitors can feel repetitive, beautiful descriptions of Seoul’s changing seasons and complex characters make for a cosy winter read and, much like the book kitchen, a respite from the pace of everyday life. IM

Published by Harvill