Frances Cha

A riveting debut novel set in contemporary Seoul, Korea, about four young women making their way in a world defined by impossibly high standards of beauty, secret room salons catering to wealthy men, strict social hierarchies, and K-pop fan mania."Even as a girl, I knew the only chance I had was to change my face… even before a fortune-teller told me so."Kyuri is a heartbreakingly beautiful woman with a hard-won job at a "room salon," an exclusive bar where she entertains businessmen while they drink. Though she prides herself on her cold, clear-eyed approach to life, an impulsive mistake with a client may come to threaten her livelihood. Her roomate, Miho, is a talented artist who grew up in an orphanage but won a scholarship to study art in New York. Returning to Korea after college, she finds herself in a precarious relationship with the super-wealthy heir to one of Korea's biggest companies.Down the hall in their apartment building lives Ara, a hair stylist for whom two preoccupations sustain her: obsession with a boy-band pop star, and a best friend who is saving up for the extreme plastic surgery that is commonplace.And Wonna, one floor below, is a newlywed trying to get pregnant with a child that she and her husband have no idea how they can afford to raise and educate in the cutthroat economy. Together, their stories tell a gripping tale that's seemingly unfamiliar, yet unmistakably universal in the way that their tentative friendships may have to be their saving grace.

Two 601-year-old goblin tricksters from Korea go on an unexpected Halloween adventure in New York City in this tongue-in-cheek story from Frances Cha, critically acclaimed author of If I Had Your Face , and #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Jaime Kim."A sweet, comical Halloween venture for all." - Kirkus ReviewsDoki and Kebi are two Korean magical goblin twin brothers who couldn't be more different!Kebi loves to scare people (maybe a little too much) and explore!Doki would rather give people bags of gold when he's not reading a book!Despite their differences, Doki and Kebi are inseparable. When it's time for the goblin tricksters to move, the brothers decide to make their new home together in a strange, unknown land...New York City! As they prepare for the new customs of Halloween, Doki and Kebi are in for a surprise in this new holiday adventure inspired by the Korean mythology of dokkaebi.

In this hilarious sequel to The Goblin Twins, two Korean goblin trickster brothers find that pranking New Yorkers is harder than they thought! From the critically acclaimed author of If I Had Your Face, and #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of Take Heart, My Child.After moving from Korea to New York, Doki and his twin brother Kebi have been settling into their new home. Doki has so many new books to read!But Kebi hasn't been adjusting as easily. He has no friends! And his pranks on New York City haven't been working.Subway delays. Traffic jams. Scary smoke. New Yorkers have seen it all!It's up to Doki to cheer his brother up and come up with pranks big enough to shock their New York City neighbors in this humorous and heartwarming story inspired by the Korean mythology of dokkaebi.

Un affresco della società coreana contemporanea«Forte e coinvolgente… un romanzo sulle sfide e sulle difficoltà dell'essere donna, ma anche sul conforto che viene dall'amicizia.»The Washington Post«C'è la sorellanza al centro di questo ambizioso, esaltante romanzo, una sorellanza vista nei suoi aspetti più luminosi e salvifici, ma anche in quelli più oscuri…»The New York TimesBellezza, successo, sicurezza cosa si può essere disposti a rischiare per ottenerli? In Corea del Sud, la risposta è: tutto. In una società che esige l’eccellenza e scarta chiunque non la raggiunga, cinque amiche cercano di Kyuri punta tutto sulla sua straordinaria bellezza, ottenuta grazie a numerosi interventi di chirurgia estetica che l’hanno ridotta sul lastrico, mentre la coinquilina Miho ottiene una prestigiosa borsa di studio, rimanendo però invischiata nell’affascinante ma distruttivo mondo dell’arte e del lusso. La vicina Sujin, che sogna di lavorare in un locale di lusso, si sottopone a un intervento estetico dalle conseguenze dolorosissime, e la sua amica d’infanzia Ara è prigioniera dell’ossessione per una star della musica. Infine c’è Wonna, la misteriosa signora del piano di sotto, incinta del primo figlio, che cerca di capire come garantirgli il successo con gli scarsi mezzi economici che lei e il marito possiedono.In questo brillante esordio, Frances Cha dipinge un affresco vivido e schietto della Seoul del giorno d’oggi, mostrando come la solidarietà e l’amicizia siano spesso un’ancora di salvezza. E ci racconta la verità delle donne – di tutte le donne –, troppo spesso nascosta o svilita.