Dog Days

By Keum Suk Gendry-Kim. Published by Drawn & Quarterly. 

Softcover, 212 pages, B&W, 2024. 

The author of Grass and The Naked Tree returns with a profound tale of family

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 neighbors is a heartfelt exploration of compassion and the unlikely places we find the love we all need.

"Gendry-Kim’s fourth extraordinary title arrives... this time tugging, stressing, nearly breaking the heartstrings of pet lovers."—Booklist, Starred Review