Two Women Living Together
by Kim Hana and Hwang Sunwoo
translated by Gene Png
ARC Review
Publisher: Ecco Books
Publication date: January 20, 2026
What It’s About
This is a memoir about two women who decide to build a life together outside the usual scripts. Kim Hana and Hwang Sunwoo are longtime friends who, in midlife, choose to buy a home and live together as chosen family.
The book follows how they make that choice work day to day. Finances, space, habits, solitude, compromise. It isn’t framed as a rejection of marriage, but as a practical response to loneliness and a desire for a fuller life on their own terms.
What Stuck With Me
I liked this book, and I found myself genuinely happy for them. These two women have created a solid, thoughtful life for themselves, and it feels like something others could realistically imagine doing too.
What stood out most was how clearly they talk about compromise. Not compromise in giving up what you want in life, but in understanding how two people’s strengths and weaknesses can work together. That part felt honest and grounded. It reads much like the way people talk about marriage when it’s working well, just without romance being the center.
The book stays practical. They talk about the pros and cons, the friction, and the adjustments required when two established adults decide to share a home. There’s no attempt to make it feel effortless. At the same time, there’s real satisfaction in watching them build something that suits them.
Nothing here felt thin to me. They focus on the life they chose, not the ones they didn’t. There are areas they don’t dwell on, like dating or future romantic relationships, but that felt intentional. This book knows what it wants to be about and stays there.
It also made me think about how this kind of arrangement feels increasingly visible in parts of Asia, even if it’s still considered unconventional elsewhere. I can easily imagine this becoming more common globally as people look for alternatives that don’t force a choice between marriage and isolation.
Would I Recommend It
Yes, especially to independent women who are curious about different ways of living.
This is for readers who are interested in practical, emotionally grounded stories about chosen family and building a life that fits. It isn’t dramatic and it isn’t trying to persuade. It simply shows what worked for these two women.
If you’re looking for tension, big revelations, or a strong argument, this may feel quiet. But if you’re open to seeing a thoughtful alternative modeled with care, this is a rewarding read.
My takeaway: Good for them, and had I not met my husband, I can see why this life would make a lot of sense.
ARC Disclosure
Thank you to Ecco Books for the digital review copy via Edelweiss.
Where to Read It:
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.
Buy on Amazon , Bookshop.org
First time on Bookshop.org? Click for discount code
Looking for your next read?
My Asian Era is where literature meets culture, thoughtful reviews, quiet voices, and stories worth slowing down for.
If you liked this, you may also like
Worldly Girls
For women writing their way into adulthood, friendship, and self-definition.Crying in H Mart
For emotionally grounded reflections on identity, family, and choosing how to live.I’m Laughing Because I’m Crying
For honesty about independence, vulnerability, and building meaning without tidy resolutions.
