The Healing Season of Pottery
by Yeon Somin
Translated by Clare Richards
This is the first of the two books that My Asian Era Book Club is reading this month.
What It’s About
The Healing Season of Pottery follows a woman who reaches her breaking point. After years working as a television screenwriter, the pressure and exhaustion catch up to her, and she not so quietly walks away from everything she’s built. She moves to a small suburb outside Seoul, planning to hide from the world for a while.
Instead, she stumbles across a local pottery studio. Drawn first by curiosity and later by the calm rhythm of the work, she finds herself slowly pulled back into life. As she learns to shape clay, she also learns the stories of those around her. The people who come to this small workshop for their own reasons, each carry something they’re trying to mend.
Through shared meals, laughter, and the patience that pottery demands, she begins to rediscover herself. She finds love, community, and a different kind of happiness.
What Stuck With Me
This was a lovely book. It’s tender without being slow, calm without ever drifting. What stayed with me most was the reminder that sometimes you have to step away to see your life clearly. Just because you’re good at something doesn’t mean it’s the thing that will make you happy. Once the pressure is gone, maybe the joy can come back.
I also loved how much food is woven through this story. Simple Korean dishes were shared among friends, in small rituals that bring comfort and connection. It made me want to try some of them myself, and even made me think about trying pottery.
Would I Recommend It
Definitely. The Healing Season of Pottery is a warm, gentle book about community, creativity, and finding your way back to yourself. It’s perfect for anyone who loves stories about starting over, or for readers who want something comforting to curl up with along with maybe a blanket, a fire, or a big window with a beautiful view.
It’s not dramatic or showy. It’s steady, soothing, and full of easily overlooked wisdom. The kind of story that reminds you it’s okay to stop, breathe, and start again.
My takeaway: sometimes healing starts when you let your hands and your heart get a little messy.
Where to buy the book:
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Available on Amazon and Bookshop.org.
First time on Bookshop.org? Click for discount code.
