Susan Yoon

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 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."