Gwendolyn and the Light

• The warmest definition of friendship in the world, told by an author born in Seoul who nurtured her dreams in Toronto
• The author's journey is a message of hope for immigrants
• The belief that we can stand together even without fully understanding one another is the pride of all of us who have endured immigrant life

Sometimes, looking up at the night sky, we can feel entirely alone. Especially when first setting foot on the unfamiliar soil of Canada, the overwhelming uncertainty that the first generation of immigrants must have felt was probably like an endless, pitch-black night. But here is someone who ultimately found the light in that darkness and has now become an author who shines brightly on her own: Toronto-based Korean-Canadian author Susan Yoon. Her picture book, Gwendolyn and the Light, published in 2024, is not just a children's fairy tale; it serves as a warm handshake extended to all immigrant families who have lived relying on each other in an unfamiliar place.

The protagonist of this book, Gwendolyn, is a nocturnal creature living in the world of the night. Always alone, she had one earnest wish deep in her heart: to make a "friend." To her question, "What is a friend like?" the moon and the trees answer that a friend is as bright as starlight and as comforting as a summer breeze. Then one day, seeing a bright light appear in the forest, Gwendolyn thinks, 'That light might be the friend I've been waiting for!' She embarks on a courageous journey across the rough sea in search of that light. Along the way, she meets a little bird. Will Gwendolyn be able to find the dazzling light she has dreamed of?

Major publishing review outlets have poured praise on Susan Yoon's work. Kirkus Reviews noted that Susan Yoon's dreamy, free-flowing text pairs with Audrey Helen Weber's distinctive art to let readers share in Gwendolyn's sorrow and triumph. In particular, they recommended it as a perfect bedtime story for children. Another prestigious outlet, Publishers Weekly, highly praised it, stating that it stands out with strong, soft lines, illuminating what true companionship is beyond simple respect.

The reason we should pay special attention to author Susan Yoon is the perseverance hidden behind her success. Born in Seoul and raised in Toronto, she actually did not have a smooth path as a writer from the beginning. She began taking online writing classes in her forties, and after quietly enduring a long period of time, she finally brought her book into the world. Her journey—having earned recognition for her skills by contributing essays to leading daily newspapers like The New York Times and The Globe and Mail—offers a powerful message of hope to our first-generation parents, who had to temporarily put their own dreams on hold while raising children in the unfamiliar environment of Canada: "If you do not give up, you can shine at any time."

Gwendolyn's journey to find the light closely resembles the path our parents took when they left Korea for Canada. It also mirrors the courage it took to cross the Pacific in search of the "light" of a better life and a brighter future. Along that path, we experienced unexpected hardships, but at the same time, we made precious connections in unexpected places. Just as the light Gwendolyn was searching for was not actually a grand sun but began with her friendship with the little bird by her side, wasn't what sustained our immigrant lives a warm meal shared with neighbors and the companionship of silently watching over each other's pain, rather than some grandiose success?

This book teaches the truth that "even if we don't fully understand each other, what matters is the heart to care for one another together." The process of Gwendolyn, a creature of the night, and the daytime bird becoming friends is much like the process of the parent generation, who hold onto traditional Korean sentiments, and the children generation, who grew up in Canadian culture, coming to understand each other. Sometimes we clash because our languages and thoughts are different, but ultimately, it is no different from the fact that we are creating the light of a single family through our mutual care. Through this lyrical story, the author has proudly shown global readers just how beautiful the values of jeong (affectionate connection) and solidarity held by our Korean community truly are.

Seeing the name Susan Yoon featured in The New York Times or The Globe and Mail, and seeing her collaborate with world-renowned publishers, fills us with great pride. In every sentence the author writes, Korean warmth and Canadian freedom coexist; this can be said to be an unrivaled talent that only Korean-Canadians can possess. Because first-generation parents put down roots in barren land, authors like Susan Yoon were able to fully spread their wings of imagination and move the world upon that soil. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that this book is the author's success story and, at the same time, a declaration of victory for our parents who laid the groundwork for it. Sometimes, when life is exhausting and you are confused about where you are, I hope you open this book. You will feel that the starlight Gwendolyn saw as she crossed the sea is actually sparkling just the same in our own hearts. You will also realize that the 'light' we were looking for was not far away, but was already here in the eyes of the family and friends who struggle and smile beside us right now.

Author Susan Yoon is speaking to us, the readers. She tells us not to forget the excitement of finding a friend in unexpected places, and that with that friend, even the world of the night can be comforting enough. In a way, all Koreans living in Canada are their own Gwendolyns. They are brave travelers who pierced through the darkness in search of the light. I hope this book serves as a comfort to the parent generation, saying, 'The life you have cultivated has blossomed into such a beautiful flower,' and a source of pride for the children generation, saying, 'My roots are so deep and solid.'

Just as Gwendolyn and the Light has become a wonderful fairy tale that guards the bedtime of children around the world, I hope the miraculous light the author cultivated after a yearslong wait brightly illuminates everyone's home tonight. We are not alone. As long as we become each other's light, our life's journey will always be as bright as starlight and as comforting as a summer breeze. Do not forget this pride, and I hope you walk confidently following your own light today. You more than deserve it.