ABTSfanfavorite!AWALLSTREETJOURNALSTORIESTHATCANTAKEYOUANYWHEREPICK*ENTERTAINMENTWEEKLY’SSTAYHOMEANDREADPICK*SALON’SBESTANDBOLDEST*BUSTLE’SMOSTANTICIPATEDTheEmissarymeetsTheCuriousIncidentoftheDogintheNighttimeinthispoignantandtriumphantstoryabouthowlove,friendship,andpersistencecanchangealifeforever.Thisstoryis,inshort,aboutamonstermeetinganothermonster.Oneofthemonstersisme.YunjaewasbornwithabrainconditioncalledAlexithymiathatmakesithardforhimtofeelemotionslikefearoranger.Hedoesnothavefriends--thetwoalmond-shapedneuronslocateddeepinhisbrainhaveseentothat--buthisdevotedmotherandgrandmotherprovidehimwithasafeandcontentlife.Theirlittlehomeabovehismother’susedbookstoreisdecoratedwithcolorfulPost-itnotesthatremindhimwhentosmile,whentosay“thankyou,“andwhentolaugh.ThenonChristmasEve--Yunjae’ssixteenthbirthday--everythingchanges.Ashockingactofrandomviolenceshattershisworld,leavinghimaloneandonhisown.Strugglingtocopewithhisloss,Yunjaeretreatsintosilentisolation,untiltroubledteenagerGonarrivesathisschool,andtheydevelopasurprisingbond.AsYunjaebeginstoopenhislifetonewpeople--includingagirlatschool--somethingslowlychangesinsidehim.AndwhenGonsuddenlyfindshislifeatrisk,Yunjaewillhavethechancetostepoutsideofeverycomfortzonehehascreatedtoperhapsbecometheheroheneverthoughthewouldbe.ReadersofWonderbyR.J.PalaccioandGinnyMoonbyBenjaminLudwigwillappreciatethis“resonant“storythat“givesYunjaethecouragetoclaimanentirelydifferentstory.“(Booklist,starredreview)TranslatedfromtheKoreanbySandyJoosunLee.
ALMOND FRIENDSHIP SALON friendship
