"The Novice Shaman Reading Past Lives"

By Lee Sun-young

Clayhouse

A pair of novice shamans claim that past-life insights can unravel present-day problems. With their help, people find a second chance at life in this heartwarming drama infused with comedy and emotion.

The fortune-telling shop Miss Korea has garnered a reputation for helping clients discover their past lives.

The vibrant place is run by two shamans: There's the enigmatic Madame Go, whose age remains a mystery, and Dong-ja, looking like an ordinary man in traditional Korean attire, who claims that he communicates with a child spirit. If the fortunes do not hit the mark, they even offer a "retouch" -- the two bold and unconventional shamans opening new doors in people’s lives.

From a college student who secretly drops out of school because he cannot find his dream, a weary doctor of a neighborhood clinic tired of hearing his elderly patients say, “You might as well die when you’re old,” a housewife stuck in a stagnant marriage and an elderly man collecting scrap metal to make ends meet to a disabled person struggling with stock market losses -- these shamans not only lift their spirits but also seem to rewrite their destinies. Their clients leave with more than just laughter and comfort; they walk away with answers to life’s toughest questions.

Author Lee Sun-young made her debut with the award-winning mystery novel “The Last Pythagorean” (2010). Her previous novel, “The Love Pharmacy of the Botero Family,” has been translated into multiple languages including Italian, French and Spanish.