National Network for Equitable Library Service

Mr. Kim is a first-generation Korean immigrant and the proud owner of Kim’s Convenience, a variety store located in the heart of downtown Toronto’s Regent Park neighbourhood. There, he spends his time serving an eclectic array of customers, catching petty thieves, and helpfully keeping the police apprised of illegally parked Japanese cars. As the neighbourhood quickly gentrifies, Mr. Kim is offered a generous sum of money to sell — enough to allow him and his wife to finally retire. But Kim’s Convenience is more than just his livelihood — it is his legacy. As Mr. Kim tries desperately, and hilariously, to convince his daughter Janet, a budding photographer, to take over the store, his wife sneaks out to meet their estranged son Jung, who has not seen or spoken to his father in sixteen years and who has now become a father himself.Wholly original, hysterically funny, and deeply moving, Kim’s Convenience tells the story of one Korean family struggling to face the future amidst the bitter memories of their past.This edition includes a new foreword by Soulpepper Theatre Director and Founder Albert Schultz and an essay by Ivan Fecan Executive Producer of Kim’s Convenience, the TV series, an updated Introduction by Ins Choi, as well as essays from Kevin White Co-Creator of the TV series and cast members Paul Lee and Jean Yoon who were in the original theatrical production and star in the TV series as well. The book also includes a sixteen-page black-and-white photo insert featuring photos from the original Fringe production, the Soulpepper production, as well as photos from the CBC TV series.