The Memory Bookshop by Song Yu-jeong

 

Jiwon is still struggling to come to terms with her mother's death after seven years. Riddled with anxiety and insomnia, she is barely functioning. Late one night, she stumbles across the mysterious Memory Bookshop, where she is offered a chance to revisit the past.

Having read We'll Prescribe You A Cat by Syou Ishida (you can find my review here) and its sequel, We'll Prescribe You Another Cat (review here), I was keen to read more East Asian literature. The Memory Bookshop by Song Yu-jeong, about a bookshop that exists outside of time and space, sounded perfect.

This was a quick and easy read, with a bittersweet conclusion. Jiwon has never come to terms with her mother's death, even blaming herself for the myriad of health problems her mother suffered. Her ever-present insomnia has her wandering the streets one rainy evening, when she discovers the strange bookshop. Intrigued, she wanders in and is offered the chance to swap the remaining time she has left to live for the chance to revisit up to three periods in her past. Jiwon hopes that by going back in time, she can prevent her mother from becoming ill.

Jiwon's trips into the past serve as a reminder of the relationship she had with her mother. This story serves as a sign not to take those relationships for granted, to appreciate time spent together. We are also reminded that our memories encompass so many different senses, and experiences, and that time can warp them.

I found the book quite emotional; some of the elements certainly resonated with me. I also liked the magical element of the story, but if you are looking for a whimsical aspect similar to the We'll Prescribe You A Cat books, then this isn't for you.

The Memory Bookshop by Song Yu-jeong will be published on the 12th March 2026 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Fiction for a review copy.