Mun Ju-hee
Ten Speed Press
30 September 2025
160
eBook - EPUB
Non-Fiction
ARC via NetGalley
Juhee Moon once doubted whether handwritten letters had a place in our ultra-fast-paced world, but the runaway success of her stationery shop Geulwoll, established in 2019, quickly became known as a tranquil place where people can write and send letters, buy gorgeous pens and letter paper, and sign up for a distinctive pen pal Customers can pick up a letter written by an anonymous pen pal—but only if they write one in return. Every day Moon witnessed customers enjoying the rare pleasure of sitting down and putting pen to paper, and in The Healing Power of Korean Letter Writing, she shares the joy with others who crave the unique type of connection and careful consideration that comes from handwritten letters.
Through eighteen short chapters, from practical subjects like The Best Time to Write a Letter and Choosing Letter Paper and Envelopes to more sentimental ones like What Only Letters Can Do, Moon gently reveals the healing, nostalgic power of the written note. Personal stories and wisdom from famous letter-writers provide the encouragement for readers to craft touching, humorous, loving, and healing notes for everyone in their life—maybe even themselves, or a stranger.
The Healing Power of Korean Letter Writing was a short, sweet read that is an ode to letter writing. I enjoyed the references to famous letter-writers combined with the author's own thoughts and feelings. The book is not intended to be prescriptive but is rather a work of reflection aiming to inspire. I've had pen pals since childhood, so there was perhaps nothing really new to me here, except for hearing someone else's thoughts on letter-writing; however, it does make me want to go and visit the author's shop the next time I am in Seoul. It is a book that will appeal to those who are already letter-writing aficionados, but I think it would be best suited to those interested in taking up letter-writing but unsure how to start. I am giving it 3.5 stars.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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