Marigold Mind Laundry is both a sad and hopeful book with a great message about living life in the moment and not dwelling on the past. It encourages us to think about today and enjoy what you have even if it might not be what you wanted. I found that this book resonated with me a lot and I could even apply some of it to my own life.

I really loved the premise of a laundry that helps removes stains of the heart. We got to see a few different people at different stages of life and learn about a tragedy in their past. I liked that they all viewed the laundry in a different way and they didn't all just want to forget the bad. All the stories and characters are relatable. The real message here is to not let things hold you back from being happy and isn't that really what we all want?

There is also a hint of magical realism about this world, not really in depth but it is needed to make sense of the laundry. This is quite typical of this type of novel. I thought the writing was really good and there are a lot of great quotes!

A lovely little bittersweet story about washing away your deepest troubles. Think Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind but with different pains, not just past relationships. This was such a melancholic read, filled with people accepting their past and letting go of their trauma, although I thought it was also a little heavy handed at times. Some parts rrwlly read almost like a self help book, and took me out of the story itself.

A sad yet strangely uplifting read that will probably stay with me for some time.

This was a gentle and easy read, I really liked all the characters and the friendships that built up over time and all the stories of people’s struggles and how they overcame.

'No matter how many regrets you have, yesterday has passed and tomorrow is the future that has yet to come, so what we should do is to be in the moment, to live our life today.'

An interesting premise: Jieun discovers that she has magical powers, but failing to control them she makes her entire family vanish. Years later, she opens the Mind Laundry to help those who need to face painful truths. Is it better to erase bad memories? If you could, would you be the same person afterwards?

In a series of loosely connecting stories, various people come to visit the Laundry, a similar structure to the now very familiar 'healing fiction' genre. I found this similar in feel to the 'DallerGut Dream Department Store', and my response was very similar too. Whilst the premise is interesting, the whole magical/mystical vibe just made it a bit too preachy, and the message was more of a thing than any character development. Which is fine. It is, ultimately, an uplifting read and will leave the reader in a much more positive frame of mind.

Interesting and worthwhile. Probably 3.5 stars.

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

The concept of washing away memories must be something everyone has longed for once. This charming story explores the philosophical implications of doing this, following multiple characters who visit the laundry. A comforting, easy read!

Thank you Random House UK/Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for the chance to read an e-ARC of Marigold Mind Laundry.

The book has the cosy comfort of books like Before the Coffee Gets Cold, but with one big difference. Instead of a desire to relook at the past Marigold Mind Laundry is about forgetting or rather washing away particularly traumatic memories and emotions bringing into question philosophically how memory shapes us and whether things are innate or environmental. It's a book which gives a lot of to reflect upon in that regard, as well as giving the classic cosy comfort of reading about several characters move onwards with their lives having addressed past conflict through the process provided at the Marigold Mind Laundry.

What memories would you erase?
What a fascinating idea, really makes one think, especially as a bad memory may affect a good one. Those nagging doubts that linger, hurts and anger that we could forget, would we?
Jieun is a special person she has a gift, within her laundry she can wash away memories from the past. Her. Clients include Jaecha, who loves films but after an initial success sees himself as a failure, Yeonhee a famous influencer who unknowingly backs a harmful product, there are others she helps. Jieun's neighbour Ajumma owns the next door resturant and cooks for Jieun's clients, she is always ready with a tasty snack.
The job of taking people's memories takes its toll on Jieun, in the evening, she cries out red petals which are the memories that then disappear. When she meets Hae in a photographer they have an Instant connection, can be help her?
Very enjoyable and thought provoking.
Thank you Jungeun, NetGalley and Penguin for this ARC

A gentle, enjoyable read, that left me wanting a little more from the ending.

I didn't enjoy this book as much as I had expected to, but I definitely still enjoyed it. I love the concept of the Mind Laundry, and would do almost anything to be able to smooth out some of the wrinkles on my mind and heart.

That being said, and with such a great concept, this book wasn't as captivating as I had hoped. Each of the stories were nice, and whilst the people felt well-rounded, the whole process felt a little rushed. For the centre of the story to be the Mind Laundry, it didn't feel like it actually played that much of a part in the novel.

I found myself left quite confused by the ending, and it all felt like it ended a bit abruptly.

That said, this is still an enjoyable easy read, and one that I would recommend people try.

Overnight, in the village of Marigold on top of a hill, Jieun has conjured up a magical Mind Laundry, where she cleanses painful experiences from her customer's hearts, transferring them into stains on a T-shirt and transforming them into dazzling red petals.

A cross between Before The Coffee Gets Cold and Under The Whispering Door, this is a lovely and thoughtful read with some beautiful messages.

Some of the story was slightly lost in translation for me, but that may be because I don’t read a great deal of translated fiction and so would still recommend this heartwarming bestseller

Marigold Mind Laundry is a delightfully strange and compelling read. From the first page, the author pulls you into Marigold’s curious world—however, I couldn’t help but feel that the story’s surreal, atmospheric quality could be explored even better as a graphic novel. The vivid, imaginative elements lend themselves beautifully to a visual format, which could deepen the story’s impact.

The Marigold Mind Laundry is a laundry that washes away pain. It is a shortish cosy read where each chapter is loosely connected to the others. The translation is good. That is, it felt like reading a piece of original text and not like reading a clunky translation that lost the charm of the original work.

I liked the overall comforting message of the book, but also felt as if I had read something similar before. There have been a lot of cosy Asian books on the market lately and I get the feeling that if you have read one, you have read them all. This is an exaggeration, each book has it's unique appeal, yet the overall feeling is one of saturation. I might need to take a step back from the genre for some time.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

First, thank you netgalley for this eARC. The review was long overdue as I can't let myself finish this book. I cane across this book just when I needed it. I do have a lot of highlights and annotations on this book. I even recommended it to my friend even though I'm still reading it. Anyways, here is my review.

"The Marigold Mind Laundry" is a thought-provoking novel that explores theme of memory. The story revolves around a facility called The Marigold Mind Laundry, where people go to have their minds "laundered," erasing painful memories and emotions. It is well-paced and presents an intriguing premise that raises ethical questions about the role of memory in shaping who we are. The characters are engaging, and the writing is accessible, making it an easy read for those interested in speculative fiction. While the world-building could be more detailed, the central concept and the emotional weight of the story make it a compelling and enjoyable read.

Before I started writing this review I had to go check things out and see why so many people are giving it three stars when I intend to give it the full five! I loved it and thought it was unusual and delightful. However it seems there is a lot of fiction currently being produced with this self healing theme - I just had not met any yet!

Anyway I really enjoyed this one. I was grabbed at the start by the magical realism, loved the characters especially Jieun, and could feel the atmosphere of the culture all around them. The importance of sharing food with friends was everywhere. The magic of the petals was inspired. The world building was brilliant. I guess it was a touch sentimental, maybe a little too sweet occasionally but I was too busy enjoying the characters to mind any of that.

Five solid stars and I will be looking for more by this author.

✨🫧🧺✨ Marigold Mind Laundry by Jungeun Yun, Translated by Shanna Tan ✨🧺🫧✨

Oh my gosh…my heart is so full!!! I sat down last night to start Marigold Mind Laundry and read it in one sitting. I cannot begin to describe how beautiful this book is. It’s full of magic, wonder, friendship, hope, love, loss and everything in between. Fantastically heartfelt, Marigold Mind Laundry feels like a warm hug and reminds the reader to appreciate the beauty that is all around us. Truly a phenomenal read that is now one of my all time favorites. Keeping my fingers crossed for an English Translation of book 2, Marigold Mind Photo Studio!

Thank you so much CPBT & Dial Press for sending me a copy! 🫧

This was a warm read but with some darker threads as Jieun finds herself cursed and experiencing many lives, as she tries to find her parents and struggles with her purpose in the world and her magic. The writing is very sedate, in the sense that we don't experience much of Jieun's emotions whilst she's experiencing what would be very traumatic circumstances. I found it difficult to connect the beginning of the book to the end, it seemed a little like one unfinished story was told, and turned into a different one. That being said I did enjoy dipping into the other characters lives and experiences, which have led them to Jieun's Mind Laundry. The found family vibe was also really sweet, and it was great to see these people from different backgrounds coming together and finding contentment in their lives.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

I loved the concept of 'Marigold Mind Laundry', and from the blurb it sounded like exactly my kind of read. A magical laundromat where people go to erase their painful memories and wash away their troubles, how enchanting.
Sadly it was not for me. I don't know if it was the timing of when I picked it up, or the reading mood I was in. There's also been a lot of Asian literature in translation released in the last few months with similar elements and atmosphere - the healing and cosy kind of reads sprinkled with magic.
I'd still highly recommend this to anyone who enjoyed The Welcome to Hyunam-Dong Bookshop, The Lantern of Lost Memories and The Kamogawa Food Detectives.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the free digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"We remove stains from the heart and mind, and erase your painful memories. If it makes you happier, we can also iron out any creases, and get rid of unwanted blotches. We remove all types of stains. Welcome to the Marigold Mind Laundry."

I love this bright, colourful cover! Marigold Mind Laundry is a positive, light read with healing themes. I do love translated fiction and I'm enjoying seeing more novels being translated from Korean into English.

I loved the concept of the Mind Laundry and meeting different people and hearing their stories. However, I had high expectations of this novel and it didn't quite hit the mark for me. There were some great quotes, but I generally found it a bit clichéd.

Jieun lives in a Laundry on top of a hill in a village called Marigold. She has the ability to take people's pain and wash it out of their life if they want to get rid of it.
She has lived a long time and is tired. Through helping other people she learns that she needs to look forward and enjoy life not look back at what she has missed.
A nice little book from Korea.

Thank you NetGalley and Doubleday books for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

“We will wash away your pain and iron away any creases in your heart.”

Young Jieun accidentally misuses her powers, causing her beloved family to vanish. She lives a million restless lives in search of them, and in the village of Marigold on top of a hill, she conjures up her Mind Laundry.

Five wounded souls find themselves in this mysterious place, and Jieun cleanses painful experiences from their hearts, transferring them into stains on a T-shirt and turning them into dazzling red petals.

Korean translated fiction. magical realism, emotional and reflective prose, found family - a truly gorgeous novel sharing the stories of five wounded souls and our main character Jieun.

The concept of the Mind Laundry makes my heart ACHE - I’m genuinely yearning for this place to exist. This imagination and style of magical realism is why I have come to love this genre so much.

Each character was complex and had their own unique history and pain that they wanted to wash away. It was a pleasure to see them on their journey and how some were able to find family.

The writing was so beautiful and there were so many beautiful quotes (if sometimes a little repetitive).

This was a really wonderful read and I would definitely recommend it if you’re after something to get you thinking.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝘆 • 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘂𝗻 𝗬𝘂𝗻 • 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿: 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗧𝗮𝗻
★★★.𝟳𝟱

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗼 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁
- Translated literary fiction
- Healing prose
- Magical realism
- Found family

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
This was such a wholesome, refreshing, and healing work of fiction. In this book, we are introduced to Jieun, who opens a magical launderette that can wash away a persons most painful memories.

The concept makes my heart ache and the finished product is simply lovely. The characters in the book grow like flowers away from their trauma and embrace themselves fully, finding new hobbies, relationships and careers to fuel their wellbeing.

A two was shed whilst reading this.

𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀
“𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘯.”

“𝘚𝘰, 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴, 𝘪𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯. 𝘎𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬. 𝘉𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴. 𝘐𝘵’𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯. 𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘙𝘦𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘴𝘰.”

‘𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺?’ 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢. ‘𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵’𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦.