Almond
South Korea

Almond

by Won-pyung Sohn

Identity & Belonging Literary Fiction 2017

Summary

Almond follows Yunjae, a teenage boy who has difficulty recognising and expressing emotions because of a neurological condition called alexithymia. Due to an unusually small amygdala, the part of the brain associated with emotional responses, Yunjae struggles to understand fear, anger, and happiness in the ways others do. Raised by his mother and grandmother, who teach him how to navigate social situations, he leads a carefully structured life until a violent incident leaves him isolated and forces him to face the world alone.

At school, Yunjae encounters Gon, a troubled boy whose aggressive behaviour hides deep emotional pain. Despite their differences, an unexpected connection develops between them, challenging both boys’ understanding of themselves and each other. Through their evolving relationship, Sohn Won-pyung explores empathy, friendship, trauma, and the meaning of emotional connection. The novel asks whether compassion must come from instinctive feelings or can instead be learned through experience, suggesting that understanding another person may begin with the simple willingness to see beyond appearances.

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Country
South Korea
Asia
About the author
Won-pyung Sohn
Won-pyung Sohn

Sohn Won-pyung is a South Korean novelist, film director, and screenwriter, born in Seoul in 1979. She studied social sciences at Sogang University and filmmaking at the Korean Academy of Film Arts, developing an interest in storytelling across different artistic forms. Her debut novel, Almond (2017), follows Yunjae, a boy with a neurological condition that makes it difficult for him to recognize and express emotions. Through his relationships and experiences, the novel explores empathy, loneliness, friendship, and what it means to be human. Almond became an international bestseller and received the Changbi Prize for Young Adult Fiction. Her other works include Counterattacks at Thirty and The Dazzling Life of a Dandelion. Sohn’s fiction often examines emotional isolation, personal growth, and the search for meaningful connections in a society shaped by social expectations.

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Details
Published
2017
Author
Won-pyung Sohn