A Small Change: Finding the Joy in Everyday Things (a Coming-Of-Age Graphic Novel)

＂When I tie up my hair, it feels like I’m wearing a new pair of shoes.＂

A young woman is out in the world for the first time, living on her own. When she decides to tie up her hair one day, she embarks on a journey of small, almost imperceptible but important changes. Relationships develop, problems emerge and decisions are made.

As the year progresses and she navigates the ins and outs of daily life, she also discovers new ways of styling her hair. Because nothing stays the same--and sometimes, changing your hairstyle can have a deep impact on your life.

In twelve sensitive episodes, this charming coming-of-age novel includes step-by-step instructions for each hairstyle our heroine wears. For young people influenced by K-pop, K-beauty and K-drama, it introduces the Korean concept of so-hak-hang--the belief that small pleasures like a movie night with friends, painting your nails or trying a new hairstyle are a simple but reliable means of finding true joy.

Rae-hyun Kim is a graphic novelist whose work focuses on the simple things in life that sometimes are more profound than they seem. Small Changes is her debut novel. She has since written and illustrated graphic novels for young readers on such diverse subjects as learning embroidery, deciding what to wear, everyday life in school, and bits of magical realism.