Kim Hana and Hwang Sunwoo's winsome memoir, Two Women Living Together, was a runaway bestseller in South Korea in 2019. In 49 miniature essays translated by Gene Png, they take turns reflecting on the challenges and unexpected benefits of long-term platonic cohabitation.
Kim and Hwang met on Twitter and in their early 40s they pooled their savings to buy an apartment in Seoul, creating a "W2C4" unit of two women and four cats. The friends had a lot in common: they were both from Busan, worked in journalism, loved good food and drink, and had similar taste in books and music. However, their fundamental differences created friction. Hwang had messy tendencies, whereas Kim was a minimalist. They sparred over tidiness before developing a mutually acceptable balance, and later Hwang hired a cleaner. Often, one woman's talent made up for the other's weakness: Hwang was an excellent cook and Kim was happy to clean the kitchen afterward. "It is totally possible for two very different people to respect and live with each other," Hwang affirms.
In a culture that reinforces patriarchal gender roles, "DIY families" like theirs are still rare. Hwang insists, "it's not the end of the world if you don't get married." (Still, the authors joke that they're like "sons-in-law" to each other's parents.) Kim looked after Hwang while she recovered from surgery. Together, they mourned the death of one of their cats. Every day, they're grateful to have a companion and conversation partner. Two Women Living Together serves as a model for alternative living situations, but its wisdom will ring true for anyone who's cohabited. --Rebecca Foster, freelance reviewer, proofreader, and blogger at Bookish Beck