Migdală

Yun-jae grows up with alexithymia. He cannot feel fear or anger. His mother and grandmother help him cope each day. They live above the shop where his mother sells used books. Notes at home guide him on when to smile and laugh. They also guide him on when to say thanks.

Violence leaves him alone on Christmas Eve. That day is also his sixteenth birthday. He draws back from others as he struggles with his loss. Then Gon, a troubled boy, joins his school. The two become friends, though no one expects it.

This novel deals with grief, growing up, and bonds between people. Its teen cast speaks to readers of all ages. This is Sohn Won-pyung's first novel. She looks at how people form bonds despite differences in what they feel. Iolanda Prodan translated this Romanian edition from Korean.