"Debut author Kim Jiyun found inspiration for her first novel in an unlikely place: a neighborhood laundromat. It’s paid off. Yeonnam-Dong’s Smiley Laundromat has become a bestseller in Korea and now it’s been translated into English by Shanna Tan, a prolific translator. Her previous English translation of Hwang Bo-reum’s Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop was also a bestseller. Yeonnam-Dong’s Smiley Laundromat is bound for the same success."

– Asian Review of Books

"Poignant, uplifting, and filled with both tender and exciting moments, Kim’s novel offers a moving reflection on the power of empathy and community."

– Library Journal

"Amidst contemporary challenges, more books featuring quotidian places transformed into restorative havens are hitting shelves, featuring cafés, libraries, shops, and, more recently, laundromats, where troubled souls can get refreshed. Strangers—who recognize each other from the distinct scent of the amber-lavender cotton dryer sheets that follows (and guards?) them—become protectors, friends, even family, as the mysterious diary enables intertwined paths while revealing deeper truths. Debuting author Kim’s best-seller, smoothly translated by polyglot Tan, provides lucky anglophone audiences with a welcoming escape."

– Booklist, starred review