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Shoko's Smile

By Choi Eunyoung
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Check link for latest rating. ( 6,582 ratings, 1,128 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Shoko's Smile by Choi Eunyoung is a poignant collection of short stories that weaves the intricate lives of women living through personal and political upheavals in Korea and Japan. Each story captures moments of connection, loss, and the lasting impacts of history on personal relationships. The narratives are beautifully crafted, showcasing the delicate balance between individual aspirations and the weight of collective memories.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're drawn to poignant, character-driven stories exploring the complexities of human relationships across different cultures and generations. It beautifully captures moments of connection and estrangement, delving into themes of identity, memory, and emotional resilience.

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A bestselling and award-winning debut collection from one of South Korea's most prominent young writers

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

In crisp, unembellished prose, Choi Eunyoung paints intimate portraits of the lives of young women in South Korea, balancing the personal with the political. In the title story, a fraught friendship between an exchange student and her host sister follows them from adolescence to adulthood.

In A Song from Afar, a young woman grapples with the death of her lover, travelling to Russia to search for information about the deceased. In Secret, the parents of a teacher killed in the Sewol ferry sinking hide the news of her death from her grandmother.

In the tradition of Sally Rooney, Banana Yoshimoto, and Marilynne Robinson—writers from different cultures who all take an unvarnished look at human relationships and the female experience—Choi Eunyoung is a writer to watch.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Shoko's Smile by Choi Eunyoung has been lauded for its profound insight and emotional depth. Critics admire its precise storytelling, characterised by a realistic and morally grounded narrative style. The collection is praised for its gentle yet revealing exploration of human experiences, creating narratives that shine a light on complex and dark aspects of reality through engaging prose and intricate characterisation.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781529376043

Publisher: John Murray Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 09 June 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: John Murray Publishers Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 195g

Pages: 272

Collections

Choi Eunyoung Fiction General Fiction

About the Author

Choi Eunyoung is a South Korean writer acclaimed for her nuanced yet poignant stories about women, queer people, victims of state violence, and other marginalised voices. She is the author of the bestselling story collections Shoko's Smile and Someone Who Can't Hurt Me, which have sold over 200,000 copies and 150,000 copies respectively in Korea. Since her literary debut in 2013, she has received numerous accolades, including the Munhakdongne Young Writers Award, Heo Kyun Literary Award, Lee Haejo Literary Award, and Hankook Ilbo Literary Award. Both of her story collections were selected as the best fiction title of the year by 50 Korean writers (2016, 2018). She has also published a Korean-English bilingual edition of her novella The Summer and contributed to many anthologies.

Sung Ryu is a Korean-English translator who grew up in South Korea, the US, and Canada, her most recent home being Singapore. Her translations include Tower by Bae Myung-hoon, I'm Waiting for You: And Other Stories by Kim Bo-Young and the Korean edition of Grandma Moses: My Life's History by Anna Mary Robertson Moses.

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