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FIVE SEASONS IN SEOUL
A life-changing year in South Korea
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Christine thought a year in South Korea would hit the pause button on her messy life. Her dad's death had left her anxious and depressed, and her career in musical theatre had reached a new low of shopping-centre kids' shows. When she found herself pulled over by the side of the road, dressed as a dinosaur and sobbing uncontrollably, it was clear something had to change.
A role with an experimental theatre company based in Seoul seemed the perfect way to put off dealing with her problems, at least for a year. But she soon found there's no running away from yourself. Travelling through South Korea, immersing herself in its culture and shifting her mindset along with the seasons, Christine discovered that sometimes the place you go to escape your life can hold the answers for how to heal it.
A heartfelt, sumptuous journey through one of the most fascinating cultures and landscapes on the planet, Five Seasons in Seoul is for armchair travellers and memoir lovers alike.
‘South Korea comes to life in this story of traveland the ways it can transform us. With disarming vulnerability, Newell has captured both the joy
and the pain of searching for your place in a new city.’
Rachael Coopes, author of Paris for Beginners and The Art of Forgiveness
'There’s something so comforting about Christine Newell’s memoir, Five Seasons in Seoul. I don’t know if it’s the coming of age style story, the exotic location so perfect for armchair travel, or the way that Christine’s vulnerabilities and joys mirror us all. Perhaps it’s the writing that sparkles on the page, or it could be the way cultural and historical exploration is woven so gently through the narrative.'
Anne Freeman, author of Me That You See and Returning to Adelaide
'This is a memoir where armchair travel is just one sliver of an incredible story of grief, resilience, growth and presence ... the descriptions are almost visceral (the love hotel scene had me snort laughing on the train) and this feels like a love letter to Seoul, family (found and biological) and most importantly to self.'
Holly Cardamone, author of
Summer, in Between