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A Thousand Blues

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A Thousand Blues

By: Cheon Seon-ran, Chi-Young Kim - translator
Narrated by: Jennifer J Kim
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

THE #1 KOREAN INSTANT BESTSELLER AND PRIZEWINNER WITH A UNIQUE NARRATOR

Discover the original and uplifting sensation for fans of CONVENIENCE STORE WOMAN and KLARA AND THE SUN

It's only when we slow down that we can truly experience joy ...

2035: In the shadow of a race-course, two sisters grow up, helping their mother at the local cafe that serves renowned ramen. Family life is fractious especially when one of them loses their day-job to an automaton.

When the sisters discover their beloved race-horse Today is being sent to the knacker's yard after a lifetime of over-racing, they are determined to rescue her.

To remind Today of happier times, they hatch a plan to let her run one last race. But it will be no ordinary event.

They will train her to run the slowest race of her life.

Narrated by a most unusual and unforgettable storyteller, A Thousand Blues is a powerful hymn to our humanity. Brimming with heart, hope and rage, it is a book to cherish, share and re-read.

'A stunningly crafted novel, evoking a myriad emotions' Kim Bo-young

‘A dazzling, warm novel that shows us how to move forward as a society without leaving anyone or anything behind' Choi Jin-young, author of To the Warm Horizon

© Cheon Seon-Ran 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Animals Family Life Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Science Fiction World Literature Heartfelt Feel-Good

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Critic reviews

[A] healing and heartfelt love story to the earth
The heartstring-tugging glimpses of a sad injured pony are cleverly layered with a multi-generational backstory about the various impacts of technological change on people’s lives. Lovely stuff.
Thoughtfully translated . . . and beautifully tracks the sacrifices made to save the racehorse Today.
A heartwarming and fascinating story
All stars
Most relevant
It’s a bittersweet story. The ending made me emotional! The audio narration was superb. Love that the robot voice has a sound effect.

Perfect for Ishiguro fans!

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