Marigold Mind Laundry

Can a magical laundromat match the delightful cats, bookstores, and restaurants featured in other recently translated healing novels? Certainly. It may even surpass them with its exploration of the hurts, big and little, that alter the course of lives. Jieun has the ability to make other people’s wishes come true, but she’s experienced a loss so great that even centuries have been unable to heal her. However, a fleeting moment of beauty gives her a needed pause from which a plan can sprout. While she may be unable to help herself, she can lighten the stains of painful memories for her clients. Each client approaches healing differently, covering Jieun—and maybe listeners, too—with a warm layer of soft peace. Sofia Jin’s conversational delivery lightens the densest sadness without diminishing the seriousness of anyone’s pain, though it does mirror Jieun’s detachedness from the world. It also highlights the growing richness of the Marigold community’s bonds as Jieun, unaware, begins to drop the sajangnim (“boss”) bearing that keeps her separated from those who care.