Almond (Nomad Edition)
A Novel
Published on 6. November 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
352 pages
978-0-06-346922-8 (ISBN)
Description
A BTS fan favorite! A WALL STREET JOURNAL STORIES THAT CAN TAKE YOU ANYWHERE PICK * ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY'S STAY HOME AND READ PICK * SALON'S BEST AND BOLDEST * BUSTLE'S MOST ANTICIPATED
"A boldly original piece of fiction, plumbing the depths of the human condition with plenty of humor along the way."-Entertainment Weekly
Now available in a convenient pocket-sized portable Nomad Edition, the poignant and triumphant story about how love, friendship, and persistence can change a life forever.
Yunjae was born with a brain condition called Alexithymia that makes it hard for him to feel emotions like fear or anger. He does not have friends-the two almond-shaped neurons located deep in his brain have seen to that-but his devoted mother and grandmother provide him with a safe and content life. Their little home above his mother's used bookstore is decorated with colorful Post-it notes that remind him when to smile, when to say "thank you," and when to laugh.
Then on Christmas Eve-Yunjae's sixteenth birthday-everything changes. A shocking act of random violence shatters his world, leaving him alone and on his own. Struggling to cope with his loss, Yunjae retreats into silent isolation, until troubled teenager Gon arrives at his school, and they develop a surprising bond.
As Yunjae begins to open his life to new people-including a girl at school-something slowly changes inside him. And when Gon suddenly finds his life at risk, Yunjae will have the chance to step outside of every comfort zone he has created to perhaps become the hero he never thought he would be.
Readers of R. J. Palaccio's Wonder and Benjamin Ludwig's Ginny Moon will appreciate this "resonant" story that "gives Yunjae the courage to claim an entirely different story." (Booklist, starred review).
Translated from the Korean by Sandy Joosun Lee
"A boldly original piece of fiction, plumbing the depths of the human condition with plenty of humor along the way."-Entertainment Weekly
Now available in a convenient pocket-sized portable Nomad Edition, the poignant and triumphant story about how love, friendship, and persistence can change a life forever.
Yunjae was born with a brain condition called Alexithymia that makes it hard for him to feel emotions like fear or anger. He does not have friends-the two almond-shaped neurons located deep in his brain have seen to that-but his devoted mother and grandmother provide him with a safe and content life. Their little home above his mother's used bookstore is decorated with colorful Post-it notes that remind him when to smile, when to say "thank you," and when to laugh.
Then on Christmas Eve-Yunjae's sixteenth birthday-everything changes. A shocking act of random violence shatters his world, leaving him alone and on his own. Struggling to cope with his loss, Yunjae retreats into silent isolation, until troubled teenager Gon arrives at his school, and they develop a surprising bond.
As Yunjae begins to open his life to new people-including a girl at school-something slowly changes inside him. And when Gon suddenly finds his life at risk, Yunjae will have the chance to step outside of every comfort zone he has created to perhaps become the hero he never thought he would be.
Readers of R. J. Palaccio's Wonder and Benjamin Ludwig's Ginny Moon will appreciate this "resonant" story that "gives Yunjae the courage to claim an entirely different story." (Booklist, starred review).
Translated from the Korean by Sandy Joosun Lee
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers Inc
Dimensions
Height: 144 mm
Width: 112 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
237 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-06-346922-8 (9780063469228)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Sohn Won-pyung is a film director, screenwriter, and novelist living in South Korea. She earned a BA in social studies and philosophy at Sogang University and film directing at the Korean Academy of Film Arts. She has won several prizes, including the Film Review Award of the 6th Cine21, and the Science Fantasy Writers' Award for her movie script. She also wrote and directed a number of short films and made her feature film directorial debut with Intruder. She made her literary debut in 2016 with Almond, her first full-length novel, which won the Changbi Prize for Young Adult Fiction. Released the following year, Counterattacks at Thirty received the Jeju 4.3 Peace Literary Prize and the 2022 Japanese Booksellers' Award.
Sandy Joosun Lee is a translator and interpreter based in Seoul. She earned a BA in Literature/Writing from the University of California, San Diego. She has received translation grants from Literary Translation Institute of Korea and Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea. She currently works at Studio Mir where she translates and develops animated content.
Sandy Joosun Lee is a translator and interpreter based in Seoul. She earned a BA in Literature/Writing from the University of California, San Diego. She has received translation grants from Literary Translation Institute of Korea and Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea. She currently works at Studio Mir where she translates and develops animated content.