Books took me to places I could never go otherwise. They shared the confessions of people I'd never witnessed. The emotions I could never feel, and the events I hadn't experienced could all be found in those volumes.
Won-pyung Sohn, Almond
In Almond by Won-pyung Sohn, a young man living with a condition called Alexithymia narrates his daily life in Korea. People who have the condition have difficulty expressing themselves or recognizing emotions, including their own. In the novel, Yunjae's emotional responses are subdued and he can't sense or express fear. Though Yunjae’s mother and grandmother provide daily reminders on how to act in school, he's regularly teased and taunted by classmates.
When Yunjae’s family becomes the victim of random violence on his 16th birthday, he's ill prepared to manage life on his own or tend to his family's bookstore in his mother's absence. Meeting new people, including a troubled young man fueled by resentment, and stepping outside of his comfort zone have mixed results and unexpected consequences in this thoughtful novel about growing up without a roadmap.
Adult and young adult fans of stories like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie, and Wonder by R.J. Palacio will enjoy this captivating story by South Korean novelist and filmmaker Won-pyung Sohn, translated by Joosun Lee.
If you’re like me and enjoy modern coming of age stories, memorable characters, and thoughtful books featuring neurodiversity, be sure to check out Almond by Won-Pyung Sohn.
Alicia Cavitt
Information Specialist
Everyone thinks "ordinary" is easy and all, but how many of them would actually fit into the so-called smooth road the word implied? It sure was a lot harder for me, someone who was not born ordinary. That didn't mean I was extraordinary. I was just a strange boy wandering around somewhere in between.
Won-pyung Sohn, Almond
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