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A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang

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A dessert from the Hwawoldang is a ticket to a new life . . .


Welcome to Hwawoldang, the pastry shop where every delicious bite comes with satisfaction for both the mouth and the soul . . .

When twenty-seven-year-old Yeon-hwa loses her grandmother, the proprietor of Hwawoldang, she honours her final wish: to keep the shop open for one more month, between 10pm and midnight. Yeon-hwa hopes to learn the secrets behind Hwawoldang’s desserts, and the enigmatic woman who made them.


But when one of the shop’s most loyal patrons arrives, Yeon-hwa quickly discovers Hwawoldang is no ordinary pastry shop, as its customers are not entirely alive . . .

With each new visitor, Yeon-hwa is drawn deep into their memories. The true calling of the pastry shop is to shepherd her customers into the afterlife, but can Yeon-hwa continue her grandmother’s legacy? And will the task bring her closer to the woman she barely knew?

Evocative, nourishing and cosy, A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang is an ode to lost souls finding home, in this life and beyond.



© Lee Onhwa 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

About Lee Onhwa

Lee Onhwa is a pseudonym for a bestselling, prizewinning author. She worked as a freelance ghostwriter from 2018 to early 2020, crafting works that showcased the insights of successful entrepreneurs. However, she found herself wanting to write her own stories. In 2021, she published her first novel and has written numerous since to much acclaim under an alternate pen name. A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang is her first novel as Lee Onhwa, and it has sold in a record breaking eleven territories pre-publication in Korea. She lives in Seoul.
Details
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • ISBN: 9781405984492
  • Price: £14.00
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