I wanted so badly to be swept off my feet by this, but I simply wasn’t. I found a lot of the stories to be dry and quite far from compelling.

It took me a lot longer to get through this book than it usually would with short stories and unfortunately I wasn’t a huge fan!

There were a few stories that stood out more than others, Runaway, in particular but for the most part I just didn’t feel any connection to the characters and was glad to move on to the next story.

These stories are excellent.

Thoughtful and also thought provoking, Miss Kim Knows allows you to explore the lives of women in a new way in a collection that feels like it's extracted from experience.

I really enjoyed all these stories, and I really appreciated how many perspectives we get to step into in this collection which is reminiscent of her debut novel, Kim JiYoung 1982.

The title story is excellent, and would recommend this to anyone who likes a little slice of life with a feminist perspective.

Easily a go-to 'you must read this'. After the success of 'Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982' this collection of stories, all linked by the name Kim, gives us simultaneously an experience of the role of women in modern Korea and in the world in general.

Some are just glimpses, moments in a life, but the collection is stunningly written, deeply moving and important. Nam-Joo is quickly becoming a voice to reckon with in world literature. A definite must-read. 5 stars

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)

I loved this book! It was an enlightening read, into the role of women and their oppression in Korea. The storys where fun to read, however the pacing varied between each one. I did find this a little bit of a struggle, and I would have liked to have a more faster pace.

"Miss Kim Knows and Other Stories" is a collection that presents a diverse range of tales, each with its own unique charm. While it has its moments of brilliance, the overall reading experience falls somewhere in the middle.

One of the strengths of this collection is its variety. The stories touch on various themes and genres, showcasing the author's versatility, framed quite heavily with a South Korean background and culture. Some narratives are heart-warming, while others are thought-provoking. This diversity ensures that there's something for everyone within the book's pages.

Among the short stories, "Miss Kim Knows" and "Dear Hyunnam Oppa" clearly stand out to me as brilliant.

"Miss Kim Knows and Other Stories" is a collection that offers a mixed bag of narratives. It showcases the author's creativity and ability to explore a wide range of themes. If you enjoy short stories and appreciate diversity in a collection, you may find this book worth exploring.

I adored this collection.
I don't usually enjoy short story collections, they tend to feel repetitive and never achieve what longer fiction can when it comes to me actively caring about the characters. I just never care when I read short stories. With Cho Nam Joo's writing so far, the case seems to be the opposite.
I have only read Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982, and this collection by the author so far. Although I enjoyed both, I would say Cho really shines when it comes to shorter prose. The characters are tangible, so close to the reader, so ordinary yet absolutely captivating.
The focus here seems to be not too different from what Cho focused in Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982: the women's lot. Specifically, korean women's. How do daughters, sisters, mothers, aunts, grandmothers live in this day and age, what is their position in the community, country, family?
I found Cho's writing very to the point but at the same time hard to describe, I find it difficult to explain even now, so I will keep this brief: I would recommend this short story collection to everyone.

After loving Kim Jiyoung, born 1982, I just couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one. However, I didn’t realise that this was a short stories collection, which isn’t really my preferred storytelling type… I struggle to connect and care about characters developed over a very few pages but some of those stories managed to carry a strong message, which helped me to stay engaged. My favourite story by far was “Dear Hyunnam Oppa” where a woman writes a letter to her fiancé which outlines their relationships and their dynamics in the context of the Korean society and it’s expectations. As they are all short stories I’ll not get into details about plot but overall all carried a feminist message and showed how society formats views and thoughts.

If you like stories set in South Korea, enjoy short stories or really liked Kim Jiyoung, born 1982, I would recommend to read it as it is a nice collection, however expect not all stories to hit home or blow your mind.


Under the Plum Tree: 2⭐️
Dead Set: 4⭐️
Runaway: 3⭐️
Miss Kim Knows: 2.5⭐️
Dear Hyunnam Oppa: 5⭐️
Night of Aurora: 2.5⭐️
Grown-up Girl: 3⭐️
Puppy Love: 3⭐️

Miss Kim Knows is a collection of 8 short stories by Cho Nam-Joo, author of Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982. Each story is a reflection of Korean girls and women, from school going age up to 80+. Topics such as digital sexual harassment, gaslighting, domestic violence and the different expectations women are expected to fulfil within family units depending on their age.

Like any short story collection, it's a mixed bag of stories, some I liked more than others. I particularly liked Miss Kim Knows, where an office worker new to her role learns about her predecessor, Miss Kim, who was fired purely because she was too competent in her job. As the new worker settles into the job and the weeks go by, things start to fall apart in the office and it becomes clear that the place severely relied on Miss Kim, took advantage of how much she did in the company and unappreciated her. For a collection of stories that has some heavier themes, I felt like this added a touch of lightness and humour. In Dear Hyunnam Oppa, a 30 year old woman writes a goodbye letter to her partner, relaying how he slowly manipulated and isolated her within their 10 year relationship. We learn why she finally decides to leave him.

I liked that the stories have a wide age range, especially on the older side. Under the Plum Tree is about sisters, one of who has Alzheimer's and highlights some of the more negative aspects to aging while Night of the Aurora is about an almost 60 year old woman and her mother in law in her 80s going on a trip of a lifetime to Canada to see the Northern Lights.

Overall I enjoyed the book, it's equally reassuring and heartbreaking to know stories from the other side of the world are just as relatable in women in different societies. A glimpse of contemporary South Korea that will resonate globally.

4.5 stars. This was so, so brilliant and the piece I have enjoyed most from Cho Nam-joo. After loving Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 but really hating Saha I was unsure how I was going to like this short story collection but I absolutely cannot fault it.

Nam-joo returns to her roots and writes about feminism in the workplace, school, growing old, travel and family. Every story seemed to take on a life of its own and there wasn't one in the whole collection that I didn't enjoy. The one which stood out the most for me was 'Night of Aurora' and I was honestly getting quite emotional whilst listening to it. It follows two old women who have been friends since graduate school who learn that old age doesn't mean you can't still desire to experience life to the full, despite what is said about youth and women and the two of them constantly shock themselves and the people around them with their passion to fulfill their oldest wish in life.

I also loved 'Grown-up Girl' as I felt like this explored similar themes to her debut novel regarding feminism in the classroom and how it affects family and community. 'Under the Plum Tree' and 'Runaway' were also standouts for me.

So surprised by how much I loved this as short story collections don't usually rate highly for me but the whole time whilst listening to this I found myself absolutely fascinated by the lives of each character and with what was going on in each situation. Nam-joo is such a funny, yet important writer as she really speaks out about the women's issues she cares about. I liked how in the second story the main character was also a writer and so we got to hear some self-reflective ideas about how her out-spoken feminism has impacted on her career and how family and friends view her in real life.

A true triumph for Nam-joo and very excited now to see what she writes next following this - I hope she keeps on in the same vein.

A collection of short stories that encapsulates the microcosm of Korea. Each story pierces to the heart of the matter and no one escapes the magnifying class. The women in the stories are Korean but they are the stories of women from all over the world and the stories resonated with me. An enthralling book that regardless of where you are from that women are strong and resilient.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

A woman enters the world, her journey marked by stages both profound and painful. She is surreptitiously filmed in public, a victim of the violation. Domestic violence casts a shadow upon her path. Gaslighting manipulates her perception. The workplace discriminates against her, ageing bestows wisdom upon her, and fame embraces her before scorn's bitter embrace replaces love's warmth.

Cho Nam-Joo's expertly honed prose breathes life into "Miss Kim Knows," a tapestry woven from the lives of eight Korean women spanning ages 10 to 80. Within each biography resides a microcosm reflecting modern-day Korea, a vivid portrayal of the struggles and injustices that accompany women from the cradle to the twilight years. Much akin to "Kim Jiyoung, Born in 1982," the destinies of these eight women echo those of their global counterparts. Cho Nam-Joo's incisive and candid perspective leaves nothing unexamined—neither the world around her nor her own self.

The narrative is suffused with a tapestry of compelling female figures, their strength a prevailing undercurrent. The prose is a testament to the author's skill, the backdrop intriguing, and the narrative deeply engrossing. An added layer of sweetness is found within a tender love story, completing the narrative like the icing on a cake. Such was the allure of this imaginative tale that I found it challenging to disengage.

While the eBook captivates, opportunities for refinement and enhanced user-friendliness exist. Enrichments such as chapter links, the eradication of pronounced word gaps, and an alluring cover design would elevate the eBook's presentation, transcending its current document-like aspect. Consequently, a slight deduction in my rating is warranted.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Miss Kim Knows is an excellent collection of shirt stories on various themes, including mother - daughter relationships, raising children, romantic relationships, and more. I love the diversity of this collection-there was one story which I skipped as I found it a little difficult to follow but the rest of the stories made up for this completely. I found that one in particular, written in the style of one long letter from a woman to the man she has been dating long term explaining why she is rejecting his marriage proposal, especially reverberated with me. Cho Nam-Joo has an incredible way of making you fall in love with her characters and I was truly invested in many of these narratives despite their succintness.

This is a brilliant follow up to the smash hit of her first novel and I highly recommend giving it a read, particularly for short story lovers!

This collection of short stories tells different tales of Korean women and problems they face in varying stages of life.
I really enjoyed this collection, particularly ‘ Dear Hyunnam Oppa’ stood out to me, which is a letter written to an ex boyfriend calling out all the ways he mistreated her throughout their relationship and gaslit her.
These stories are all powerful in differing ways and will really make you think about how women are treated in society and causes you to reflect on your own experiences too.
Overall I enjoyed this book and will definitely read other work by this author in future

Nice collection of stories, some of these I wish they were turned into books with a more developed storyline. These can make you reflect on society and life in general.

Such a powerful and emotive read. I loved how the theme of each short story was interconnected and didn’t feel like any particular one dropped off in terms of quality.

I loved Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo and so was really looking forward to this one.

Miss Kim Knows and Other Stories tells the stories of eight Korean women. This Miss Kim's range in age from 10 to 80. One is discriminated at work. Another is gaslit . Another grows old and another finds fame. One suffers domestic violence, another is filmed without consent. This is contemporary Korea as women face injustices throughout life , as they do across the world. Every woman will find something that resonates in one or more or all of these stories.
Cho Nam-Joo does not do subtle messaging, she takes her message and hits the reader in the face with it and I really like this brashness in her writing.
I did find this collection a little uneven, one or two of the stories I didn't enjoy. Two of them I loved and if I could give them separate five star ratings I would and the rest of them I enjoyed in varying amounts. Overall, an enjoyable read. I love her writing style and I look forward to reading more from her.

I am torn between 3 and 4 stars for this collection as a whole. For the originality and universal themes, I will round up to 4 stars.

I loved this, it was such a beautiful story with beautiful writing. I enjoyed this book and it kept me engaged throughout.

Miss Kim Knows & Other Stories is a captivating and timely collection of linked short stories with a feminist edge and portrays the experiences of eight women at different stages of their lives (from 10 to 80) through the beautiful prose of contemporary South Korean writer Cho Nam-Joo. Each of these representative biographies is penetrated by issues that have emerged as often central experiences in women's lives, not just in Korean society but universally: the secret/illegal filming of women in public (e.g. upskirting), hate speech and cyberbullying on social media platforms, online misogynistic hate mobs, domestic violence, gaslighting, care work, patriarchal society, female identity in old age, unequal treatment in the workplace and generational conflict within feminism.

Women who sometimes laugh, often cry, are bold and often broken, immersed in the everyday life in which their lives go on. A high school student experiences mobbing, a daughter tries to understand her father who left the family, a clerk is underestimated in her job, a writer struggles with hate speech, an elderly woman dreams of seeing the Northern Lights, but someone else has a different plan for her life. Nam-Joo also sets her sights on herself, the suddenly world-famous author. On the one hand, her success allows her to lead her life as a writer comfortably, on the other hand, the hate she encounters, especially online, does not leave her indifferent.

This is a powerful, compelling and brave anthology that is loaded with emotion and that will resonate with women and girls the world over. Not one to shy away from important topics, Nam-Joo is one of the most urgent and important voices in world literature at present. Her mastery consists of the crystal-clear language in which she writes her prose and at the same time in the precise view of the injustices of Korea, which she does not veil, but on the contrary, puts down on paper with razor-sharpness and wit. As with Kim Jiyoung, born 1982, the fates of these eight women are not nearly as far away from us as we think and hope. So no matter who you are, where you come from or how old you are, these stories of resilience and strength in the face of adversity are also about you.

I’m trying to expand my reading genre and I’m so glad I picked this up. I was engaged throughout the whole time, so I highly recommend.