The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly
​by Sun-mi Hwang, illustrated by Nomoco

Top Ten Indie Publishers' Fiction Bestseller
An Independent Book of the Year Pick
A Waterstones Book Club Pick
A Bookseller Book of the Year Pick

This is the story of a hen named Sprout. No longer content to lay eggs on command only to have them carted off to the market, she glimpses her future every morning through the barn doors, where the other animals roam free, and comes up with a plan to escape into the wild—and to hatch an egg of her own.

An anthem for individuality and motherhood, The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly has captivated millions of readers in Korea, where it is a contemporary classic. Now the novel is making its way around the world, where it has the potential to inspire generations of readers the way Jonathan Livingston Seagull and The Alchemist have. And with Nomoco's evocative illustrations throughout, this first English-language edition beautifully captures the journey of an unforgettable character in world literature. 


Buy now on IndieBound, Amazon, or at your local bookseller. 

Review Highlights
"[A]n adroit allegory about life...with allusions to prejudice, to sacrifice and to the recognition of destiny, a fable in the vein of classics like Charlotte's Web and Jonathan Livingston Seagull.... Translator Kim does stellar work in rendering the tale into colloquial English."
​—Kirkus Reviews

"The fable, which has sold more than two million copies in Korea, is in Kim's able hands; the English translation moves smoothly and straightforwardly and is aided by graceful black and white illustrations by Japanese artist Nomoco... [T]his slim but powerful tale will resonate with readers of all ages, who can take it at face value or delve deeper into its meditations on living courageously and facing mortality."
​—Booklist

"An internationally best-selling translator, Kim enables anglophone audiences access to quite the sigh-inducing treat."
​—Booklist Reader

"Betwitching...a fabular bestseller...will make grown men and women cry."
​—Independent

"I was completely sucked into this story bursting with originality...an instant classic."
​—Guardian