THE SECOND CHANCE CONVENIENCE STORE by Kim Ho-Yeon, translated by Janet Hong, is an international bestseller that feels like a warm hug. It’s a story full of humanity, community, and quiet redemption. When a convenience store owner offers a homeless man a job, she unknowingly sets off a chain of events that transforms not only her life but also her entire community. Through simple acts of kindness, people begin to break free from what holds them emotionally stuck.
Set in South Korea, the story begins as Mrs. Yeom Yeong-Sook is traveling to a funeral and discovers her pocketbook is missing. She soon receives a call from a man who has found it. When she returns to retrieve it, she sees him fending off others trying to steal it. Grateful for his help, she invites the man, who becomes known as Dok-go, back to her store for a lunchbox. That simple gesture leads to her offering him a job. Over the following weeks, Dok-go slowly learns to reconnect with others. Through his quiet presence at Always Convenience, he begins to impact the lives of the people who come and go - an anxious playwright, an alcoholic father weighed down by feelings of failure, a difficult customer known as a PIA (pain in the ass), a private detective, and even the store owner’s ungrateful son. Without realizing it, Dok-go helps them in small but meaningful ways, giving each one just what they need to change the course of their lives.
THE SECOND CHANCE CONVENIENCE STORE is a joyful and uplifting read that highlights the importance of human connection. The store becomes a kind of sanctuary for those facing life’s disappointments and emotional struggles. The characters deal with universally relatable issues such as unmotivated young adults addicted to video games, financial pressures, alcoholism, anger, lack of appreciation, and emotional disconnection. This story gently reminds readers to meet people where they are and extend compassion. Told over a brief but impactful period, the novel is divided into eight thoughtfully named chapters such as “Expired but Perfectly Fine” and “The Biggest PIA of Them All.” Each chapter delivers touching moments and heartfelt truths. With eloquent lines like “certain he would grow old as an insignificant husband and a dull father,” the book captures emotions that resonate deeply. It reminds us of the power of forgiveness, the necessity of human connection, and the quiet struggles we all carry. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a feel-good novel that also offers meaningful reflection.
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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