Counsel Culture

"“Melancholy and ruminative yet possessed of a quiet energy, Kim’s tale leads Haesoo toward the realization that, more often than not, what we yearn to be is who we already are, that life is less a matter of becoming than of revealing . . . .A simple, moving story of outcasts coming together.” —Kirkus Reviews “Kim does not offer pat solutions or mawkish sentimentality; rather, Haesoo’s attempts to care for Sei and Turnip provide a framework for her defensiveness and self-pity to give way to atonement and healing. The result is an appealing meditation on personal and professional ethics.” — Publisher’s Weekly “Kim’s beautifully introspective novel thoughtfully explores the time it takes to process difficult experiences and the restoration that can happen when people open up to each other without expectation.” —Booklist “A heartwarming story of a middle-aged woman who rescues a sick cat and comforts a child through difficult times, set in the chilling tale of a man who takes his own life because of her. The two veins entwine and cling relentlessly, staying with the reader beyond the covers."" —Cho Nam-joo, author of Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 “What do a midlife counselor, a 10-year-old girl and a couple of feral cats have in common? This unique, gritty and heartfelt story of loss, friendship and redemption, of course!” —Karla J. Strand, Ms. Magazine"