The Second Chance convenience store was my first venture into translated Korean fiction. I was expecting a gentle and wholesome experience and thats what I got. I enjoyed the diverse mix of characters each of whom come to the convenience store thinking they need a quick snack but invariably leave with what they actually needed.
I thought I'd find it a bit preachy but it was really a gentle salve for a stressful life. I'd definitely love to read more Korean translations in the future. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

A series of interlinking stories centering around a 24 hour convenience store and the homeless man who touches the lives of several people who either work there or are customers.

A short read, but I'm left feeling a little underwhelmed. At times this felt very lacking in substance or direction and also a little gratuitous. While Dokgo is an intriguing character, I also find it extremely unlikely that he wouldn't remember anything of his past just as a result of drinking alcohol for an extended period of time. I'm well aware of Karsakoff's but still, this read more like a soap opera plot point than something genuine. Beyond this mysterious aspect of his personality I also thought he was a little one dimensional and as the lynch pin for the plot, he just isn't developed enough to carry the overall story.

The frequent change in POV surprisingly didn't bother me in this. I've come to expect this kind of storytelling with popular translated Korean literature and the chopping and changing between characters, I think, actually helped to keep the pacing up and keep me interested enough to carry on reading. If I wasn't overly keen on a chapter (such as the one around the screen writer - ironic, given this appears to be a self insert from the author) I knew the plot would soon move on, so I didn't mind investing a few pages in a character I didn't enjoy.

I do get the overall impression that this has been translated into English purely to get on the current hype for supposed Korean 'healing fiction'. However, it really lacks a lot of the heart and message that I've read from the more popular books of that genre. Still interesting enough to read, but if you've read from this genre before don't expect anything new or original.

An all round lovely book that centres on being kind. An enjoyable read that I would definitely recommend.

The Second Chance Convenience Store is a simple yet deeply wholesome story that beautifully illustrates how a single act of kindness can transform a person’s life.

A word of caution: some topics may be sensitive to certain readers, so I recommend checking the trigger warnings below before diving in.

I have a deep admiration for Asian literature, especially novels that impart life lessons through their unique narrative style and captivating plots.
This book is no exception. It follows Dok-go, a homeless man grappling with memory loss caused by alcoholism, whose life takes an unexpected turn when he helps Mrs. Yeom, a compassionate convenience store owner.

The story's heartwarming narrative had me glued to my Kindle from start to finish.
It explores profound themes of redemption, belonging, connection, and the power of compassion.
I especially enjoyed how each chapter introduced new characters connected to Dok-go, showcasing the countless ways he impacted their lives in unexpected yet meaningful ways.

The epilogue was particularly moving, showing how not only the lives of these characters were changed through Dok-go’s influence, but also how their kindness and interactions helped him regain pieces of his lost memory and reshape his perspective on life.

Overall, The Second Chance Convenience Store is a beautifully written and well-translated novel.
Its touching narrative will resonate with many readers, offering relatable moments and a heartfelt reminder that everyone deserves a second chance.

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: alcoholism, alcohol, suicidal thoughts, domestic abuse, panic attacks, pandemic, brief mention of death, violence and physical abuse

The Second Chance Convenience Store is a heartwarming story about a homeless man named Dok-go who starts working at a small convenience store. After returning a lost wallet, he’s offered a meal and a job by the kind store owner, Mrs. Yeom.

As he works there, he slowly finds purpose and helps the people around him. The book shows how kindness and second chances can change lives. It’s a touching and hopeful story about finding meaning and connection, even when life feels lost.

Great for readers who enjoy uplifting stories with emotional depth. Reading this book feels like a warm hug. 🩷

"Could one small act of kindness really change someone so dramatically?"

The Second Chance Convenience Store answers this question in the most heartwarming and wholesome way.

Dokgo, a homeless man, finds a pink wallet in Seoul Station and reunites the wallet with its rightful owner, an elderly lady, Mrs. Yeom, who also runs her own convenience store.

The story follows not only the owner of the convenience store and her employees, but the seemingly minor characters of every day life - the man in sales who's lost touch with his family, a playwright toying with the idea of giving up, the son of Mrs. Yeom who has taken a dislike to Dokgo, and Kwak, the private detective hired to tail him.

While the story itself isn't particularly exciting or fast paced, the characters are all likable and interesting enough to make you want to continue reading. The characters are all normal, average people, with lives that could mimic anyone we walk past on the street. They're so beautifully human, and that's a big part of the charm of The Second Chance Convenience Store.

Nicely written, well translated, and just an all-round lovely book.

If nothing else, this story really drives home the fact that a little bit of kindness and a little bit of compassion goes a long way to changing lives, and that everyone deserves a second chance.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for the English translated ARC ♡

She wanted to repay him somehow, this man who had refused his rightful reward, for keeping her bag safe and for doing the right thing despite his circumstances. More than anything, as a lifelong Christian, she wanted to be a Good Samaritan to this man, just as he'd been to her.

The Second Chance Convenience Store is Janet Hong's translation of 불편한 편의점 by 김호연 (Kim Ho-Yeon).

The Korean original - a more direct rendition of whose title would be 'The Inconvenient Convenience Store', although the English captures the redemptive arc which is key to the novel - sold more than a million copies, and was the best selling novel of 2021.

The story is set in Seoul at the Always Convenience Store in 청파동 (Cheongpa-dong) in 용산구(Yongsan District) close to 숙명여자대학교 (Sookmyung Women's University), a franchised store owned and run, not entirely successfully, by Mrs Yeom, a woman in her 70s and a retired high school history teacher. In the opening scene she loses her purse at Seoul Station, but it is retrieved from the thieves who stole it by a homeless man who returns it to her.

Mrs Yeom, whose Christian faith is important to her, gives him a meal at the store, including a bottle of soju, but makes him an offer if he gives up drinking:

“Come work at the store, but on one condition: you have to quit drinking.” “M-me?” Dokgo asked, tilting his large head to the side.
“I know you can do it. It’ll get colder soon, but you can stay warm and make some money.”
She stared into his eyes, waiting for his answer. Dokgo looked away, his face twitching, as if caught in a dilemma. Finally, he lifted his small eyes to meet hers.
“Why are you . . . so nice to me?”
“I’m just doing what you did for me. Besides, I can’t work nights anymore. It’s too hard, and I get scared. You’ve got to do it.”
“But . . . you don’t . . . know me.”
“I do know. You’re someone who helps me.”
“I don’t even know myself . . . How can you trust me?”
“I’ve met thousands of students in my previous career. I’ve learned to be a good judge of character. If you stop drinking, you’ll be fine.”

“이거 먹고 술 끊는 조건으로 우리 가게 일 좀 봐줘요.”
독고 씨의 커다란 머리가 갸우뚱거렸다.
“제, 제가……요?”
“독고 씨 할 수 있어요. 곧 날 추워질 텐데 밤에도 따뜻한 편의점에 머물고 돈도 벌고 얼마나 좋아요.”
염 여사는 독고 씨의 눈을 똑바로 응시하며 답을 기다렸다. 독고 씨는 시선을 피한 채 곤란한 듯 광대를 연신 씰룩이다가 작은 눈을 돌려 그녀를 살폈다.
“저한테 왜…… 잘해주세요?”
“독고 씨 하는 만큼이야. 게다가 나 힘들고 무서워 밤에 편의점 못 있겠어요. 그쪽이 일해줘야 해요.”
“나…… 누군지…… 모르잖아요.”
“뭘 몰라. 나 도와주는 사람이죠.”
“나를 나도 모르는데…… 믿을 수 있어요?”
“내가 고등학교 선생으로 정년 채울 때까지 만난 학생만 수만 명이에요. 사람 보는 눈 있어요. 독고 씨는 술만 끊으면 잘할 수 있을 거예요.”

The man agrees to do so, and the novel that follows is episodic in nature, each chapter from a different perspective of the stores customers, employees and Mrs Yeom's own, wayward, son.

The novel is set in 2019-20 and effectively, but naturally, works in events such as the Korea-Japan trade war (which clears Mrs Yeom's shelves of imported Japanese beer and sets her son off on another ill-fated business idea) and the Covid wave that began in Daegu in February 2020 - and it also creates an excellent portrait of Seoul at the time.

The man says he believes his name is Dokgo (독고), a rather odd name, and other speculate whether it is somehow intended to reflect either Godok (고독) - i.e. loneliness - or Dokgeo (독거) i.e. living alone. Not the most natural of store workers, with a rather gruff and clumsy manner, his advice ultimately helps many others, including his suggestion of Corn Silk Tea (옥수수수염차) as a substitute for people trying to wean themselves off alcohol:

And Dokgo eventually starts to recover his own memories of who he is and the reason he ended up on the streets - although the revelations there were perhaps the novel's weakest feature. The novel is instead strongest when showing people at their best helping others around them and being good neighbours.

Not my natural fare, but one of the more satisfying of the feed-good translations from Korean in recent years. 4 stars for the goodness at its heart.

Thanks to the publisher via Netgalley for the ARC.