The seasons of youth, passing like shimmering waves.

Three different people draw their hearts into a triangle,

“How many more little things exist out there that are dear to only me?”

Award-winning author of "About Naju" and "The Migratory Path of Dinosaurs," Kim Hwa-Jin, presents her first full-length novel.

A person's heart encompasses an entire lifetime, so it is almost inevitable that Kim Hwa-Jin, a writer and 'explorer of hearts,' would choose a longer narrative form than short stories. In "Longing," three women flounder while facing the major refrains of life: work, dreams, individuality, and family. At the age of around thirty, an age where they can no longer be considered young nor fully mature, they meet at a confusing and at-times painful crossroads in life. Despite growing up in different environments and having distinct personalities, they feel drawn to each other. Their mutual 'longing' creates a gravitational pull, bringing them closer and pushing them apart repeatedly. These three individuals are stretched into each direction, growing within the triangle, which gets no understanding.

Though not always beautiful, the season of growing pains will inevitably be missed someday. Kim Hwa-Jin captures the intricate, vivid triangle of hearts created by these three characters, set against the sparkling waves of youth.

Record of an era captured in delicate sentences

The coming-of-age story of our time,

Seeking connection through new relationships

"Longing" captures the lives of the twenty and thirty-somethings of today. Moving beyond the previous century, where relationships were primarily centered around family, today’s individuals form significant connections with others as complete individuals in their own right. The story begins with what might seem like an innocent question: Can people who meet through work become friends? Starting from this question, exploring connections in modern society, the narrative expands into a coming-of-age story of today’s youth growing through relationships.

From summer to autumn, winter, spring, and back to summer, the year-long journey of the three characters in "Longing," is captured in Kim Hwa-Jin's delicate and lyrical sentences. "I am certain that readers who finish this novel will certainly return to it in the future."