Book Description
"It’s easy to see why this quick and endearing read was so popular in Korea and beyond; U.S. readers are in for a treat."   — Library Journal
 
In this million-copy international bestseller from Korea, the owner of a corner store takes in an unhoused man who does a good deed, a kind soul whose presence will transform the whole neighborhood—a heartwarming tale of found family, community, and redemption reminiscent of the bestselling novels of Matt Haig and Gabrielle Zevin.
 
Dok-go lives in Seoul Station. He can’t remember his past, and the only thing he knows for certain is that he could really use a drink. When he finds a lost wallet filled with documents, his life is drastically changed, offering a surprising second chance.
Mrs. Yeom, a retired history teacher and current owner of her neighborhood’s corner store, is distraught over the loss of her purse, until she receives a mysterious call from the person who found it. To thank this down-on-his-luck stranger, she offers him a free meal from the convenience store. Seeing the joy the food brings him, Mrs. Yeom impulsively invites him to stop by for lunch every day.
In a twist of fate, Dok-go saves the store from a robber—a brave act that propels Mrs. Yeom to offers the bear-like man a job working the night shift, despite the objections of her wary employees. The store’s new employee quickly wins over the quirky denizens of the neighborhood, becoming a welcoming ear and source of advice for his coworkers and neighbors’ problems, and helping his new boss save the store from financial ruin in this deeply character-driven story. But just when things are looking up for Dok-go, Mrs. Yeom's good-for-nothing son, eager to sell the store, hires a detective to dig into the mysterious man’s past and what he seems to be trying so hard to forget.
The Second Chance Convenience Store is a moving and joyful piece of uplifting fiction about a woman fighting for her community and a man who has lost everything except the will to try again.
 
About the Author and Translator
Kim Ho-yeon has worked as a novelist, playwright, and comic book writer. Considered a complete storyteller, he won the 9th Segye Literary Prize (offered by the Segye Ilbo newspaper ) in 2013, and in 2021, was awarded Yes24 Book of the Year and Millie Audiobook of the Year. His work stands out for the humanity conveyed by his characters, always inspiring, and for stories that remind us of our own lives. He lives in Seoul.
 
Janet Hong is a writer and translator based in Vancouver, Canada. She received the 2018 TA First Translation Prize and the 2018 LTI Korea Translation Award for her translation of Han Yujoo’s The Impossible Fairy Tale, which was also a finalist for the 2018 PEN Translation Prize and the 2018 National Translation Award. Recent translations include Kwon Yeo-sun's Lemon, Ha Seong-nan's Bluebeard’s First Wife, Keum Suk Gendry-Kim’s Grass, which won the 2020 Harvey Award for Best International Book and the 2020 Krause Essay Prize, and Yeong-shin Ma's Moms, which won the 2021 Harvey Award for Best International Book. She is currently the Korean prose mentor for ALTA's Emerging Translator Mentorship Program.