Dok-go is a homeless man who lives at Seoul Station, his meeting with Mrs. Yeon takes place at the station when he rescues her bag and returns it to her. Mrs. Yeom is a retired teacher who runs a convenience store in a university neighborhood. Business is not so great due to competitor stores, though Mrs. Yeom is not even close to giving up the store leaving her staff unemployed.
After Dok-go's unexpectedly kind gesture, Mrs. Yeom decides to help him out. What starts as offering him a hot meal at her store turns into employing him for the store's night shift. Dok-go doesn't remember his previous life or so he pretends. However, slowly he turns his life around from being homeless to someone who has a space to live and employment too.
The story is filled with kindness, second chances for every character we meet and sometimes even when they least deserve it. The pace is slow and somehow calming, and the tone of the conversations is affirming, amusing and a depth we usually ignore in day-to-day life. The mundane too leaves a mark in this story which is what makes it a good, enjoyable read. I loved the characters and how the store plays a positive role in their lives.
The store which is at the centre of most of the story is mundane and interesting at the same time. The characters we meet are wholesome and we see their stories come full circle, especially Dok-go. He is a mysterious yet simple character, without trying he inspires, helps and also puts people in their places wherever required. I enjoyed his story and how he owned his mistakes and finally moved ahead in his life. If you are in the mood for some Korean lit, a stoic character who provides so much more than expected, pick up a copy and enjoy.
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 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.
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. 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 story of a woman fighting for her community and a man who has lost everything except the will to try again.
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