prolog
Landscapes
A good room to hide in
Albatross
Reason for existence
Kerencia
The Protected Child
Dancing Star
farewell
After that
Epilogue
Author's Note

The passionate lives of fifteen-year-old Hee-ya and sixty-three-year-old Sola

During adolescence, forming a family is as important as forming friends.
Author Kim Hye-jeong's new work, "Solar's Garden," which delicately portrays a clear perspective on such a family, has been published.
The author slowly and deeply touches upon the complex emotions and actions of the fifteen-year-old protagonist in the novel.
And then he invited the five children, their social worker Aunt Harry, and the albatross into the garden.

My grandmother always prepared food for guests who came to our house so that they would not go hungry.
Who else but Grandma would tell dogs and cats, birds and bees, butterflies and bugs that they are her guests?
There were other guests who would not have come to our house or would not have come if it weren't for my grandmother.
They were Ajin and Donghwa, Hye-rim and Ga-young.
Ajin and Donghwa were in the first year of middle school, and Hye-rim and Ga-young were in the sixth grade of elementary school, so they were one or two years apart in age.
I felt like we were living as one landscape.
This is the scenery of the garden that my grandmother tends and cares for.
p.17

We all have different families.
Some people may have sent it a little early or we may not have met them yet.
But when we pronounce the name and title of family, something sweet comes to each of us.
Hee-ya also lives in the group home 'Little Fence' run by Grandma Solar.
And we come to realize that our family is not wrong, it's just a little different.

“That shit philosopher.
"My family, isn't it a bit strange? Grandma, aunt, and five kids."
Gayoung asked an unexpected question, wondering what he was thinking.
“Strangely, it’s a beautiful family.”
A family is a group of people who fill in each other's shortcomings and take care of each other.
So, you can become family even if you are not related by blood.
He said that in the future, there will be an increase in new types of families, not just families like ours.
It was refreshing, I would say, as if all my despair and worries were blown away in an instant.
According to him, we were a family ahead of the curve.
The children's eyes seemed to say that they thought the same as me.
Grandma and Aunt Harry also smiled and nodded.
p.67

Anyway, they came together in the name of family.
Even if they have different appearances, tastes, and atmospheres, they can all come together.
Above all, we grow by sharing joy and sorrow together.
Looking at them, I think that another definition of family might be someone who gives strength just by being there for them.
Of course, the familiarity and naturalness of being by your side for a long time can also bring up your wounds.


Blooming and falling in a place where time has passed

Hee-ya grew up in the arms of her grandmother, Sola.
I cherished the small moments and knew how to share happiness.
But as the snow on the tree branches melted, cracks began to appear in their relationship.
Grandma Solar, who I thought was my mother despite her age, was actually a stranger.
Hee-ya felt rejected, and her suspicions about her grandmother grew.


But one day, when the sunlight was particularly bright, a junior colleague who had been close to my grandmother for a long time came to visit my house.
As I was passing by my grandmother's room, I happened to overhear two people talking.
Hee-ya looks just like my mom.
Both his face and his actions are like that.
Yes, even if they look alike, how can they look so alike?
When I look at Hee-ya, I always… … .
After she left, for some reason, my grandmother called me over and sat me down.
Heeya, listen carefully.
I meant to tell you that someday.
I was wondering when would be a good time and it came to today… … .
You are my daughter.
But I didn't give birth to you.
What does that mean? Knowing this won't change anything.
Because you were my daughter from the beginning, you are my daughter now, and you will always be my daughter.
My mind went blank.
Then who is my mother? Where is she? My grandmother just shook her head and didn't say anything.
p.19

The seeds of misunderstanding grow uncontrollably.
Grandma Solar would know that too.
But it wouldn't have been easy to get the words out that were on the tip of my tongue.
Plus, my grandmother started going out at the same time every two weeks.
An earthquake rang in Hee-ya's head.
I used to talk to my grandmother about important matters or concerns, but now it felt like I had nowhere to lean on.
So, the place Hee-ya headed to was the ‘Philosopher’s Room’.

When there was no one at home, or at night when everyone was asleep, and everything felt bleak, my feet would naturally head towards this room.
Somehow I ended up talking to books.
Hey, it's been a while.
Are you here to sell us out again?
The books asked in one voice.
“I’ll sell it to you as much as you want.
“Raise your hand if you want to leave this room.”
There was no book to raise a hand for.
“You don’t want to go out?”
Because there are people in this house who love us.
“You don’t think that person is me, do you?”
You love us too.
“No way, I think you’re misunderstanding something.”
Love is known first by the receiver.
p.35

The open wound is gradually festering.
Hee-ya was busy suppressing the hatred growing in her heart.
The novel vividly reflects the characters' pain as the story progresses.
There, not only people but also plants, animals, and objects are given a sense of time, allowing the novel to float.
The period when flowers bloom and fall, the point where books were placed in one place, these things have passed through Grandma and now reach Hee-ya, and are being granted time.
Hee-ya will come to realize that she is not alone, but that there are many voices like flowers and books beside her.
Perhaps Hee-ya is now hesitating for a moment in a place where time has passed.

After that, a bittersweet joy and a deep sorrow

When a worry arises, each person has a different level of thinking.
Some people focus on their worries all day long, or even skip them for now.
Hee-ya is missing out on the joy of being together, which is truly important, as she questions herself by confining herself.

If it was going to be like this, you shouldn't have raised it in the first place.
No, if you're going to throw it away, then throw it away.
I wonder if there's anywhere else to go but this house? It's a facility that's all over the place.
No, you don't have to go to a place like that. You can just live alone.
I'm fifteen, what can't I do?
I wanted to go to the bamboo forest and curse at my grandmother.
p.132

Why do we keep forgetting the joys we take for granted?
It is only when we are truly sad that we recall joy.
Hee-ya is gradually becoming stronger through joy and sorrow.
This may be how Hee-ya learns emotions.
After that, the novel delves into each and every character's emotion without missing a single one until the very end.
Readers may recall a past they have tried to forget, or glimpse a future they would rather not think about.

"Solar's Garden" reminds us of Hee-ya and Sola's beautiful moments, each overcoming their own pain and living a self-reliant life.
We want to share our joys and sorrows within the 'small fence' called family.
I hope Hee-ya can dream of her next time with Grandma Solar.
Finally, 'My name is Hee-ah, which means happy child.'