입안의 즐거움과 영혼의 위로를 동시에 선사하는 신비로운 제과점을 배경으로 한 판타지 힐링 소설 《A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang》입니다.

스물일곱 살의 연화는 과자점 '화월당'을 운영하던 할머니가 세상을 떠나자, 밤 10시부터 자정까지 딱 한 달만 가게 문을 열어 달라는 할머니의 마지막 유언을 지키기로 결심합니다. 할머니가 남긴 디저트의 비법과 베일에 싸여 있던 그녀의 삶을 이해하고 싶었던 연화는, 단골손님들을 맞이하며 이곳을 찾는 손님들이 평범한 산 자가 아니라는 충격적인 비밀을 알게 됩니다. 삶과 죽음의 경계에 놓인 영혼들에게 마지막 안식과 온기를 전하며 저승으로 배웅하는 특별한 사명을 마주한 연화는, 손님들의 사연과 기억을 들여다보며 할머니의 궤적을 쫓고 자신의 상처를 치유해 나갑니다.

A dessert from the Hwawoldang is a ticket to a new life . . .

A delicious and comforting read for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and The Midnight Library

'Thought-provoking and uplifting' Sun

'I adored this book . . rich, emotional and engaging' ***** Reader Review

'We had K-pop and K-beauty - now it's time for K-lit!' Fabulous Magazine

'Amazingly beautiful and just what I needed at this point in my life' ***** Reader Review

'Heart-warming and full of gratitude and happiness. I loved it. And the Korean pastries all sounded delicious' ***** Reader Review

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Welcome to Hwawoldang, the pastry shop where every delicious bite comes with satisfaction for both the mouth and the soul . . .

When twenty-seven-year-old Yeon-hwa loses her grandmother, the proprietor of Hwawoldang, she honours her final wish: to keep the shop open for one more month, between 10pm and midnight.

Yeon-hwa hopes to learn the secrets behind Hwawoldang’s desserts, and the enigmatic woman who made them.

But when one of the shop’s most loyal patrons arrives, Yeon-hwa quickly discovers Hwawoldang is no ordinary pastry shop, as its customers are not entirely alive . . .

With each new visitor, Yeon-hwa is drawn deep into their memories. The true calling of the pastry shop is to shepherd her customers into the afterlife, but can Yeon-hwa continue her grandmother’s legacy? And will the task bring her closer to the woman she barely knew?

Evocative, nourishing and cosy, A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang is an ode to lost souls finding home, in this life and beyond.