Marigold Mind Laundry is a translated piece of cozy, speculative Korean fiction. I think the translation is wonderful and does a great job of maintaining the author's style of prose. I think it's a cozy and healing book—the idea of a laundromat that washes away pain is just gorgeous.

Having said that, I do think that many of these cozy, speculative books hit the same beats and follow the same arc. They are—obviously—similar in themes, but even voice and the conclusions that are drawn make it so that if you read one, it feels like you've read most, if not all of them. Having said that, I would recommend this book if you've not delved into the genre yet because I do think it is wonderful and I think that it's a good introduction to the genre. Each chapter is episodic in style, creating linked chapters that don't closely follow one another. If you're a fan of this genre, I'd suggest reading this as well.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Marigold Mind Laundry follows mysterious Laundry owner Jieun as she uses her power to soothe the emotional ills of a variety of customers.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I think I was hoping for something more akin to Before the Coffee Gets Cold, with its more self-contained vignettes, than a book which centers so much on the mystical character. There was a lot here to love in terms of the cozy, heartwarming vibes, and I did ultimately enjoy Jieun's emotional journey over the course of the book. I'd love to see more of Yun's work, particularly if they venture into any other concepts as unique as a magical launderette.

This book was a fun read and reminded me of the other fiction coming out of Japan and Korea lately that focus on seeing, and experiencing, something out of the ordinary, but in an ordinary setting. It brings back the magic that comes with the simple things in life, when we just stop and focus on it.

This was such a sweet, inspirational book. The story of a magical laundromat where you can go to forget your unwanted memories.
I absolutely loved this book.
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Summary: "The enigmatic owner of a magical laundromat that erases people’s painful memories must learn to find her own peace before she can truly help others."

Review: Asian literature must be protected at all cost. This book is precious. Cozy, like a warm drink or a tight hug. Best to go in blind.

Perfect for lovers of A Psalm for the Wild Built.

#MarigoldMindLaundry #NetGalley

Marigold Mind Laundry by Jungeun Yun was a fun, cozy and magical story that I really enjoyed reading.
A story of found family and magic.
This was a wonderfully written story.
Charming and unique. The characters are well developed and intriguing.
I found this to be highly entertaining.

Thank You NetGalley and The Dial Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I tried my best to like this one. I just found that it’s not my cup of tea. I appreciate the review copy, though.

If you could erase a memory that was holding you back, would you. This was a lovely book talking about how some things in a persons life can consume them in such a way that it stops them from living their fullest life. Throughout the book, I was thinking of my own past and thinking if I had the opportunity to remove those sadder moments, would I. It made me think deep even though the book is not dark. It goes through multiple people and tells their story of how they came to be where they are, and how the mind laundry could help them. It’s an easy to read book but still asks some bigger questions to make you think.

If you could erase any one pain/misery from your life, would you and what would it be?

This is the question this short novel asks its readers. For all you who love a good, cozy, translated work of fiction with some magical realism that pulls a little on the heart strings… add this one to the list!

It held many beautiful words of encouragement regarding life, pain, joy, courage, love, and self-worth. Some parts of the characters’ stories hit me while some of the magical realism may seem out there (hence the genre) but it does give the reader comfort and things to think on. I enjoyed seeing Jieun begin to let her walls down and let people in; the beautiful irony of her being the one to help others when ultimately they bring healing and life back to her.

Thank you so much Netgalley and The Dial Press / Random House publishers for the advanced reader copy!

I really wanted to like this one! The premise sounded so interesting and touching. Unfortunately, I mostly just felt confused. The writing style didn't work for me; feeling like it was both sparse and flowery at the same time. It made it very difficult to connect with the story.

This one really makes you think! It’s quite a beautiful story about how our bad memories can be washed from our hearts. Jieun starts a mind laundry. She listens to people and puts their painful memories on a t-shirt. These shirts then go in a washing machine so the stains turn into flower petals giving peace to their owners.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

There were parts of this story that were a bit sappy and some I didn't understand but, I overall it was a very charming story about finding happiness despite our hardships in life. Good for the day you're looking for a light read with some magic tossed in. 3.5 stars.

This was an introspective read that reflects on the power of memory, and how sometimes even bad experiences can lead to something wonderful. The prose can be a bit dense at times, but once you get into the story you're swept away into the magic of it all. I think the strength of the book lies in the characters as you learn more about their backstories and motivations, as it encourages you to find your own power and enjoy the life you have.

Thank you for the ARC!

Magical realism can be a real hit or miss for me but I wanted to give this a try. The first two chapters with the actual background just goes by so fast, I actually had to read the book description again to understand that the main character kills her parents by mistake due to the different nature of her powers. I’m not sure if that was intentional or a translation issue.

The rest of the book features visitors to the laundry and their stories and lessons they learn - which was nice but a little too didactic at times.

Overall, it’s a cozy read.

There was lots of great advice in this book. It really made one think about what is really important in life and letting things go. Jieun has magic and has accidentally lost her parents. In her quest to find her parents she lives many lives and this last one she is determined to help others let go of their pain by washing their stains (troubles) away. Each person she meets has had troubles in their life and you feel for each character. I'll be honest that I did find the names confusing and I was a little lost at times. The book is translated and there were things l had never heard of before like some of the food. The story was interesting in parts but I felt more like I was reading a philosophy book or self help than a fiction story. It was more about the lesson than the actual story. There was also a loose thread at the end that I wish had been resolved. Overall, not a bad story but I did have trouble staying focused at times.

Thank you to Dial Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

3.5 stars-ish

Originally a Korean novel now translated into English, the story centers around a woman, originally unnamed but eventually adopting the name Jieun, who originally grew up in a community where people have magic powers. She accidentally uses one of hers to make her parents disappear. From there, she continually reincarnates and looks for her parents in every life. In her last life, she decides to put her experience and power to heal and comfort others to use and opens a laundry that lets people leave behind memories they want to forget as stains on a shirt and helps them move forward. As she helps others, she undergoes her own healing.

It’s a cozy story and low-stakes premise that fits the trend of recently translated books from Japan and Korea that have a dash of magic and a slightly episodic narrative that seems intent on healing people and giving advice on how to live and move forward. I appreciate what it’s doing, and how it does establish the episodic character’s background and problems in a short span, but the main character who’s constant in the story doesn’t seem as well-established in comparison. Her whole background was kind of fast-forwarded in the first chapter and I was a little confused about her powers until the end. I also feel like this has the tendency to sound a little didactic and preachy; I appreciate the lessons it’s trying to impart, but they’re not exactly new or profound, and I wonder if maybe it’s more impactful in East Asian societies where sometimes expectations and conformity can feel a bit heavier, as this book emphasizes living in the now and doing what feels right for you. Also, since we don’t really know exactly what Jieun’s gone through in her many lives, her lessons didn’t pack as much a punch because we don’t know how she learned them or where they came from. It was also a little difficult for me to understand how people’s lives changed after they cleaned or uncreased the memories they wanted, like it felt more like they just listened to Jieun rather than the magic of the laundry doing anything, which lessened the impact of the premise.

The dialogue felt a little unnatural sometimes, like it really did give the vibes it was just translated rather than interpreted. Also since it didn’t have a lot of dialogue tags, it was sometimes confusing to tell who was speaking. I assume in the original Korean there was more differences in the casual/politeness that made it easier to tell who was speaking, but that was lost with the translation.

It wasn’t bad, and I was mostly engaged, and the premise was interesting. It’s a relatively short read and it reminds me of something Matt Haig would write, so if you like that, you might enjoy it, but I don’t think it quite worked for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!

Marigold Mind Laundry by Jungeun Yun

This is a sweet story with lots of positive vibes!

Jieun comes from a Korean village where many of its citizens are born with special powers. Her talent and specialty is her ability to help others. So, as she deals with her own sadness at losing her parents, Jieun decides to open a “mind laundry” where people who have particularly sad memories in their lives come in to have those memories “washed” away. They are asked to put on a white T-shirt. As they decide how much of their memories they want gone, Jieun serves them a special tea and talks with each client about their heartbreaks. Their sad memories then become stains on the T-shirt, and Jieun washes them out. These people are now able to go on and live successful, happy lives -- thanks to Jieun!

It is so heartwarming to hear how Jieun listens to each person’s sad story and talks with them about life and how to make it more joyful. Along this journey, she makes new friends and learns how to make a happier life for herself.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Jungeun Yun, and Random House/The Dial Press for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

Quick overview:
After her parents disappear and she discovers she has powers, Jieun spends her life bouncing around different places until she finds the perfect spot to open her Mind Laundry.

My thoughts:
I enjoyed the found family aspect and the overall concept, but I found it lacking a bit. At times it read like a self-help book or a motivational speech, which is fine, but not when that is favored over plot development. Speaking of, there really wasn't much of a plot here, more of an idea. Gave me brief reminders of Water Moon and The Full Moon Coffee Shop, though I found both of those books to be a little more compelling.

It was quite a short read, so bonus points for that. Still salty at the lack of resolution though.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the chance to read this in advance in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoy magical realism and the premise was just too good to pass up!

The world building was light but overall the coziness of the story sold it for me.

I

3.5 rounded up

I’m a sucker for magical realism.

In this we have a woman who can make her wishes come true except for finding where her parents disappeared to. She helps people by washing away the stains in their lives that cause them great turmoil.

This was cute. It was a light cozy read that was very quick. I could have handled a little more depth but it was fine.

Thanks to netgalley and random house for an eARC.