A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang

A poignant, cozily nourishing novel about a young woman who keeps her grandmother’s pastry shop open for one month, from 10pm to midnight. Yeon-hwa hopes to unlock the secrets behind the shop’s desserts and the enigmatic woman who created them. Yet the patrons she helps are not entirely alive, and with each visit she is drawn into their memories. The story suggests a deeper calling: guiding lost souls toward the afterlife, while questioning whether Yeon-hwa can honour her grandmother’s legacy and learn more about the woman she scarcely knew. Evocative and uplifting, this book is an ode to finding home for those who carry memories from life into the beyond.

The narrative blends warmth, gratitude and wonder, celebrating the comfort of shared sweetness and the power of memory.

Features

• 288 pages, hardcover edition
• 2025 publication by Penguin Random House USA
• Translated by Slin Jung
• Protagonist: Yeon-hwa and her family legacy
• Themes: memory, loss, afterlife, redemption
• Evocative, nourishing, cosy tone