I’m typically not a reader of non-fiction but I decided to give ‘The Healing Power of Korean Letter Writing’ a go because the premise sounded interesting but more than that was the review left by Aneeka M. on NetGalley. If you’re on the fence about reading this, I highly recommend reading their review to help make your decision- when they said this book will give your soul a much-needed hug they were absolutely right as I was in a bit of a reading slump before I read this but it honestly helped bring me out of it.

As you would expect from the description this book is about letter-writing and all the aspects involved with it- how to structure a letter, how to choose paper, where and when to write a letter, and so much more. This sort of format could easily end up as a boring list but Juhee Mun manages to avoid this due to the very personable, conversational tone the book takes. The book is quietly beautiful and uplifting, the authors love for letter-writing is clear throughout and I couldn’t help but smile whilst reading it. I wouldn’t say I was someone who was particularly interested in letter-writing before I read this but now it’s definitely something I’d like to have a go at.

For me ‘The Healing Power of Korean Letter Writing’ feels a bit like ‘The Bookshop Woman’ in that whilst they’re both non-fiction books, their themes align with those found in a lot of the recently translated fiction from Korea and Japan. If you’re already a fan of cosy, healing fiction translations this is a pretty similar read in that it’s hopeful and warm and it really is something you should consider adding to your TBR, even if you have no previous interest in letter-writing.

Thank you to Canongate Books and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.