I recently read The Second Chance Convenience Store, and that library hold came in with The Convenience Store by the Sea by Sonoko Machida (translated by Bruno Navasky, Putnam 2025). The first was a Korean convenience store that served as the setting to unfold a story about a mysterious man as told through several interconnected stories centered around the convenience store. The Convenience Store by the Sea is set in Tenderness, a convenience store in the tourist town of Mojiko, Japan. Through several interconnected stories, a story about the enigmatic brothers unfolds. It’s hard not to compare the two works.
The Convenience Store by the Sea seems more geared to young adults – as reflected in the writing style and subject matters of the stories. My favorite story is “A Soft Egg Porridge for a Hard Old Man.” It’s about a man struggling with his wife seemingly not wanting to spend time with him. He’s lonely and feels unmoored. He ends up agreeing to serve as a boy’s grandfather so they can compete in a three-legged competition at field day. The miscommunication is cleared up with his wife, and the boy and his family become part of theirs. “A Melancholy Strawberry Parfait” is my second favorite. It deals with mean teenage girls, overbearing mothers, dreams, making new friends, cancer, and sweet treats.
It’s a cute book, but it lacks some of the warmth of The Second Chance Convenience Store. Both are heartwarming and quick reads, and beyond the framework, they are very different. I would recommend them both, but if you only want to read one story about a convenience store, I’d recommend The Second Chance Convenience Store.
A Girl Named Tommi 