THE RAINFALL MARKET is a Korean bestseller by author You Yeong-Gwang, translated by Slin Jung. The genre is fantasy and the story is set in a fictional place known as Rainbow Town and it follows a young girl named Serin.

Serin lives in a shanty area up the hill, with her mother, a single parent who works hard to put food on the table and hold on to their living quarters. She also has a sister Yerin who runs away from home and not a day goes by when Serin doesn't miss her. Their living conditions are the bare minimum and money is always short. Serin is decent at her studies but is always daydreaming of a better life and more money. Her daydreams are fuelled by the Rainfall Market on the edge of Rainbow Town. It is a place where one gains entry only by invitation after their application is accepted.

THE RAINFALL MARKET is a place where they can exchange their misfortune for a better future. The market is very popular with people and there’s even a high in demand book in her school library which helps you with the application. Serin finally gets her hands on the book and reads it cover to cover during lunch break. She finally decides to write the application narrating her misfortune and requesting an invitation to the Rainfall Market. 

THE RAINFALL MARKET in the story is a roller coaster of good and evil. It has charming creatures, scary caves and lanes, luxurious spaces and magical items on sale. The time Serin spends there is such that by the end of her time there she realises she’s more willing to make things work as they are. She knows that her wishes should remain just that and it’s ok that some of her dreams will remain just dreams. The story touches on introspective thought, one which humans overlook at times due to various reasons. It shows us how our circumstances make us look for easy ways out or a magic wand to make the bad disappear.

THE RAINFALL MARKET is Serin’s manifestation of a place that makes her problems disappear and gives her a better chance at the future she wants. As a young child, she aptly wishes for a fairy godmother to wave a magic wand on her life and make it happier, brighter and hopeful. If you are looking for a fantastical story to share with your young ones or even yourself on a low day as a pick-me-up, go for it! Happy Reading.