Dog Days by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, translated by Janet Hong

A graphic novel about the power of family

Image | BOOK COVER: Dog Days by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim

Caption: Dog Days is a graphic novel by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim. (Drawn & Quarterly)

Yuna never wanted to adopt a dog. But with her partner in mourning — and in desperate need of a boost in morale — she gives in to his humble request. And in the grand tradition of reluctant pet owners, she and their puppy soon become inseparable. The young couple even goes so far as to relocate from Seoul to soothe their new canine pal's anxiety. After all, there's nothing like a move to the country to set yourself right. Right?
The idyll of a quiet life soon gives way to a surprising degree of antagonism, including clashes with long-time local residents of a different generation. The culture shock is palpable for all three urban transplants as the isolation of their new environs starts to sink in. They eventually adopt another dog, and still another–all while reckoning with the ups and downs of middle-age and childlessness in an unforgivingly traditional milieu.
Dog Days is critically-acclaimed and multi-award-winning cartoonist Keum Suk Gendry-Kim's first foray into contemporary fiction. With the aid of veteran translator Janet Hong, Gendry-Kim's twenty-first century tale of an unconventional family building trust with one another and their neighbours is a heartfelt exploration of compassion and the unlikely places we find the love we all need. (From Drawn & Quarterly)
Keum Suk Gendry-Kim is a Harvey Award-winning South Korean comic artist and translator. Her books include Grass, The Waiting, La saison des pluies, Jiseul, Jun, The Naked Tree among others.
Janet Hong is a an award-winning writer and translator based in Vancouver. She has translated numerous works of fiction, essays, and graphic novels such as Keum Suk Gendry-Kim's Grass.