Two Women Living Together

by Kim Hana, Hwang Sunwoo, Gene Png (Translator)

The big-hearted, bestselling South Korean memoir co-written by two best friends flouting gender norms and societal expectations with their decision to grow old together under one roof.

When most of their peers were moving in with romantic partners and having children, Kim Hana and Hwang Sunwoo chose independence—savoring solitude, quiet mornings, and the unmitigated freedom of living alone. But in their forties, something shifted, and they were met with a new, unexpected loneliness. Refusing to settle for the outdated choice between marriage or isolation, Hana and Sunwoo made a radical decision: to buy a home and live together—not as lovers, not as roommates, but as chosen family.

Now a bustling household of two women and four cats, Hana and Sunwoo still value solitude, but can do so while sharing a life and its meaning with someone else. Together they navigate the challenges and comforts of cohabiting in midlife, the growing pains of interdependence and the unexpected rewards of compromise when you’ve grown set in your ways. From sick days to career wins to aging parents and beach-side retirement plans, they are redefining domestic bliss on their own terms, where love, partnership, and home are defined not by tradition, but by choice.

With warmth, wit, and sharp social insight, Hana and Sunwoo share their blueprint for building a life outside the scripts of marriage and society’s expectations for women. Two Women Living Together is a quiet revolution—a celebration of female friendship, community, and the many forms that love and family can take.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Feminism, Friendship, Contemporary, Audiobook, Cats

12 pages, Audiobook

First published February 22, 2019

Reviews

[emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

the ideal situation

(thanks to the publisher for the alc)
(review to come)

[enzoreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

hyper beau mémoire sur l’amitié, les attentes de la société et la colocation

[Lavelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

a realistic and inspiring look at what life/companionship/etc can look like outside of typical marriage/romantic conventions. I want to be these women and I absolutely loved this book

[CatReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kim Hana and Hwang Sunwoo are two South Korean female friends who, in their early 40s, chose for financial and companionship reasons to consolidate their households and begin cohabitating long-term in a large apartment they bought together, with the intent of this arrangement lasting indefinitely. I listened to the audiobook narration of the 2026 English translation of their co-written book Two Women Living Together, first published in South Korea in 2019.

The book consists of a series of essays written separately that discuss why they chose and designed this living arrangement, how they've navigated conflicts and challenging situations, and their future plans. The essays vary from humorous to poignant to mundane, similar to how other cohabitants would probably describe the experience of moving in together and attempting to merge lives.

I did find this concept and situation quite interesting, being mindful that there are sociocultural issues at play that I don't fully understand as an American. For instance, Kim and Hwang talk about the lack of legal recognition of their 'chosen family'-type arrangement in South Korea, where in many social scenarios they have supported each other in a similar fashion as one might support an immediate family member or significant other. Though Kim and Hwang don't identify as gay and don't characterize their relationship as anything other than platonic friendship in the book, from a practical and pragmatic standpoint a lot of those legal protections could be conferred via a civil union, except that as of 2026 same-sex civil unions are still not recognized in South Korea.

Further reading:
Bad Friend: How Women Revolutionized Modern Friendship by Tiffany Watt Smith - if I recall correctly, Hwang and Kim may have been discussed here as well
Single at Heart: The Power, Freedom, and Heart-Filling Joy of Single Life by Bella DiPaolo

My statistics:
Book 27 for 2026
Book 2333 cumulatively

[Madhukari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love books that inspire, entertain, and help us envision new ways of perceiving the world and living in it.

[Allana · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded firmly up

"A person shouldn't pride themselves on the number of square feet in their house or the brand of car they drive, but on their friends. Not on how accomplished or how powerful their friends are. But how well they can cook, how well they can eat, how soundly they sleep, how well they sing, how honest they can be, how many drinks you've had together, and how many silly memories - those are the things you can truly be proud of."

Not quite the Korean Golden Girls I was looking for, but pretty close.
I loved reading about this friendship.

[Kamila Kunda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book I badly needed to read, without even realising it. “Two Women Living Together” by Kim Hana and Hwang Sunwoo is the memoir about the beauty, joys, struggles, dreams and pain of two female friends in their late 40s, who over eight years ago decided to get a mortgage (which they paid off in two years) and buy an apartment together in Seoul, and who became W2C4: two women and four cats.

“Sunwoo’s boss said this about married life: living together with someone is communal living. The best partner isn’t someone whose lifestyle matches yours, but someone who is willing to put in the effort to create a lifestyle with you. With the latter, any conflict can be resolved.”

Hana and Sunwoo, in alternating chapters, talk about the life they built, even though it hasn’t been easy. Both women have different personalities, different habits, some different hobbies, fears and reactions to events. And yet, with a lot of effort and enormous respect they created a home of which they write: “What a warm and friendly place we live in.” And this extends to the apartment building, in which some of their friends also live, and the neighbourhood. There are neighbours and friends with whom they play table tennis, celebrate successes in neighbourhood cosy cafés, who they can rely on when it comes to looking after their cats when they travel.

I was moved to tears many times reading about these amazing and strong women overcoming big and small challenges and dealing with negative emotions, learning new things, discovering new activities and new qualities of their cohabitant. There is so much passion and joy of living a simple life on the pages of this book that I thought my heart would burst. I don’t think I had ever read about a friendship between women more beautiful than this one and a book that would be more life-affirming than “Two Women Living Together”.

“A happy life isn’t achieved by preparing for and avoiding pain, loss an agony. Without those, perhaps life wouldn’t be life at all”.

This is such a wise book that reached me to support me in the time of my life when I need it most. Thank you @kimtolkong and @bestrongnow for giving me inspiration and strength 🙏🏻

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable, unique memoir by two South Korean women about their choice to platonically cohabitate More practical (and cat focused!) than philosophical, but still a good time.

[Jody Masch · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I picked up this book, I understood the premise & I was intrigued. A middle-aged woman wants to own property, but she’s single, & feels she can’t afford to own the kind of apartment she’d like by herself. So she befriends someone, convinces her that they should purchase an apartment together, & then they do. The remainder of the book is mostly about how they choose to decorate & divvy up responsibilities in the apartment, as well as little hurdles they go through along the way. How they mesh with each others’ families, though they’re only cohabitants, not romantic partners.

Somewhere along the way, this book loses its magic. There’s nothing really novel about the cohabitation. Maybe in the joint property ownership, but having roommates is nothing new in today’s world. The end seemed to get lost in highlighting their many side gigs in podcasting & writing other nonfiction. It seems that these 2 women really did strike it rich talking about their joint property ownership in South Korea. They’re also interested in changing legislation so that they can legally support one another though they are not married.

It got a bit dull, This book is quite short, yet about halfway through I was dying to just make it to the end already. I do wonder if this book might have gotten lost in translation.

[Tala🦈 (mrs.skywalker.reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love you

[ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

“In a world where nothing is absolutely good or bad, we want to focus our finite energy on talking about, remembering, and documenting the good things that deserve more attention.”

[Sam Cheng · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps more accurately, “Two Women Take Out a Mortgage to Buy Their House.” Hana and Sunwoo first connect online, and becoming close friends, they decide to purchase a house in Seoul together, bringing their similarities, differences, and two cats per human (Haku, Tigger, Goro, and Youngbae). In their shared memoir, the two women take turns covering topics such as their jobs, cooking preferences, nuclear family, cleaning habits, work out rhythms, and views on marriage and familial duty. Told without linear progression, their essays on cohabitation provide anecdotes and outline tips for happier living arrangements, push against traditional configurations on one’s home, and point out their experiences on how the world treats unmarried women. Their cheerful tone exemplifies a way for single income households to diversify family structures, showcasing the benefits (and work) of cohabitation. I hoped the book would address my questions about dividing the property should Hana and Sunwoo decide to do so in the future.

Two Women Living Together immediately reminded me of the common practice, at least in my experience, of creating a home with your homies, viably extending the uni-is-one-big-sleepover phase into adulthood proper. The difference would be co-owning a house with a bestie in one’s 40s as opposed to sharing a lease (and not in one’s 40s). It stressed me out that the two women live differently—experience has led me to cohabitate with people I enjoy who live similarly. Hana and Sunwoo’s growth in their friendship made the read more intriguing.

I rate Two Women Living Together 3.5 stars.

My thanks to Ecco and NetGalley for an ARC.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
If I had my life to do over and I wasn't happily married, I'd consider the lifestyle of these two women. They're breaking the mold on cultural and societal norms and it's refreshing to read.
I can't imagine the courage it takes to go into a situation like these two have but I'm so happy it's working out for them. Their alternating stories are funny.

[Jozi Dever · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute but slightly different than I expected. It dove a little more into their personal life stories and I thought it would mostly discuss the perspectives and emotions regarding their unique living dynamic. However, they did reflect on it some and it was nice to hear some perspectives that align with thoughts I’ve had as someone who lives alone in my mid-twenties. I liked how real they were about challenges yet are such positive and optimistic people. I feel like it allowed me to reflect on myself, my habits, and partnership overall. 3.5⭐️

[Steph | bookedinsaigon]

Audiobook DNFed @ 7%. After a few chapters, I could discern no difference between the narrative voices of the two women.

[Cheer is Currently Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

TWO WOMEN LIVING TOGETHER
RATING: 4.5
GENRE: Memoir, Nonfiction

This short, but poignant memoir redefines what family is. Kim Hana and Hwang Sunwoo, as two single 40-something women, choose to live together after many years of living ‘alone’. As they combine their households in order to have companionship, they struggle with the changes of now having a cohabitant sharing the same space.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book as someone who lives alone and understands the idea that companionship does not necessarily have to equate to a romantic relationship. It is who we choose as our family and who we want to spend time with. While Hana and Sunwoo were friends before they decided on their current living arrangements, once the change occurs, they find out more about each other now that they live together. There’s many challenges as one is an organized and clean person, while the other is a ‘hoarder’. Yet, despite everything, they are there for each other in ways similar to a spouse, but without all the familial expectations.

This was such a sweet story of how these two women strive to break societal norms.I highly encourage everyone to read this memoir as both Hana and Sunwoo alternate and share their own experiences of cohabitation with a friend and what community and family is.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco for a chance to read this book and check it on pub date 1/20/26! I can’t wait to pick up my own physical copy.

[新新 Xin-Xin · Rating 5 out of 5]

真的好好看喔～覺得有獨居過的人會很有感＋三十幾歲以上女子更能體會。

[Danis Miller-Bucholz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting memoir cowritten by two South Korean women who decided to buy a home together as friends or "found family." In their early 40s, Kim Hana and Hwang Sunwoo were close friends but realized that, as single individuals, they could not afford a larger home each on their own. As professional, independent women with a great network of friends, they realized they didn't have to be married or feel isolated or lonely as they grew older. Even though they are opposites in many ways, they chose to purchase a home together and now, approximately 8 years later, they have redefined what it means to share a life with someone in an unconventional way. I love that the chapters in the book alternate from each of their perspectives. I also like that they talk about how they are so different but yet show up for each other in a way that sometimes family or spouses do not. They are so honest and funny; they tell lots of stories about what works and what doesn't work for them in terms of sharing a home and, ultimately, sharing their lives with each other. I've been hearing more about two (or more) friends who live in expensive cities all over the world choosing to buy a home together and cohabitate, and I think it's great. We live in a time when, despite the fact that we have technology to keep us connected, many people frequently feel disconnected with others and somewhat lonely. These women illustrate what it means to create a rich, interesting, fulfilled life, and they write about this with such candor and joy that this book is a pleasure to read.

[Bigabeille · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une lecture très chouette et rafraîchissante sur 2 femmes qui décident d’acheter un appartement ensemble car elles ne souhaitent pas se marier ou vivre seule. C’est vraiment beau et drôle, évidemment tout n’est pas rose et ça montre que mes quand on se correspond bien, vivre avec un.e autre est toujours une question d’adaptation mais c’est chouette

[Jada Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was incredibly heartwarming. I very much enjoyed hearing the big things as well as the day to day details of becoming found family. Having perspectives from both Kim Hana and Hwang Sunwoo was one of my favourite aspects. Two Women Living Together was such a warm and lovely read.

I was given an arc from Ecco Books.

[Kate Belt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two friends decide to buy a house together. Unlike in the U.S., this is unusual in Korea. Some stories about how they negotiated sharing a home were interesting, but I did not find the women relatable. They’re in a different place in life and have a much different and more expensive lifestyle with careers in media. I first heard of the book on the Book Riot podcast.

[Janina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this! Easy to read, two women in their forties as platonic life companions and their cats.

[kclreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not usually one to go for non-fiction but this new way of living intrigued me and I enjoyed the book a lot. Love the comparison it drew between married couple responsibilities and friendships - the pressure of being someone’s daughter-in-law. Really hoping this modern kind of living will be more recognisable in society. Rooting for the Life Partnership Act 🤞🏼

[Marci Peace · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the early part of this book and the model of cohabitation that will increase as the younger generations face increased housing costs and fewer prospects from the pool of younger bro-verse men. The second half of the book was a slog of mundane household activities. This could have easily been a long form article.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited about this book to hear about a different living dynamic that more and more women are likely to encounter as more women choose to stay single.

It started ok-ish. But it never became what I was wanting. Each chapter just felt like a separate blog post or podcast that didn’t really link to the next chapter. It was like individual scattered thoughts or observations. It became uninteresting and difficult to finish unfortunately.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was okay. it felt like a friend telling everything from the start but make it lowkey flat and boring bc you know those already. so many good lines tho

[Stella · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adorable true life story about two women who choose to live and make their lives together, unromantically.

I live this life. I've lived with my best friend and our cats for the last 19 years. I wouldn't change a single thing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Diane Jeske · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted so much to like this book. As a woman in a very happy Platonic marriage to another woman, I couldn’t wait to read about these two Korean women who bought a home together. But the book is just not interesting, because the two women involved are not particularly interesting. The book is light on social analysis but heavy with tales about excessive drinking. They refer to each other as ‘co-habitants,’ and never even discuss the issue of their commitment to each other. They casually mention the possibility of one of them meeting a man one day, suggesting that that would terminate their current arrangement. I applaud their voicing the importance of considering a range of possibilities for finding consistent support and companionship, and have no objection to the idea that the importance of an intimate arrangement is not necessarily determined by its permanence. But I would have liked more reflection on these issues and less on adults binge drinking.

[Sunkyoung Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

p. 17-18: 혼자의 정점을 찍었던 서핑 여행 이후로 나는 산 정상에서 하산하듯 자연스럽게 친구들과 같이 뭔가를 도모하는 쪽으로 서서히 변화했다. 당장 그해 가을에 두 친구와 함께 열흘 동안 일본으로 여행을 갔고, 다음 해 겨울부터는 지금의 동거인과 같이 살게 되었으니까. 여전히 나는 혼자 먹는 밥이 맛있고 혼자 하는 여행의 간편한 기동력을 사랑한다. 그런 한편으로 또 믿게 되었다. 혼자 하는 모든 일은 기억이지만 같이 할 때는 추억이 된다는 이야기를. 감탄도 투덜거림도, 내적 독백으로 삼킬 만큼 삼켜본 뒤에는 입 밖에 내서 확인하고 싶어진다.

p. 113-114: 나중에 심리학에서 나 같은 사람의 애착 관계 형성 양상을 회피 유형으로 분류한다는 걸 알았다. 공격적으로 말하기보다 부드럽게 둘러서 얘기하고, 마찰이 생길라 치면 상황을 외면해버리기에 독립적이고 쿨해 보이는 이런 사람들은 실은 비겁한 부류다. 실망하기 싫어서 기대하지 않은 척하고, 부딪치기 싫어서 크게 중요하지 않은 척하는. 인격이 성숙해서 잘 안 싸우는 사람이 전혀 아니라, 오히려 미숙해서 잘 못 싸우는 사람에 가까웠던 거다. 다투더라도 기분이 상했을 때 내 집으로 돌아와 동굴 같은 그곳에서 휴식을 취하면 되었으니까. 하지만 이번에는 통하지 않았다. 함께 사는 사람과 싸운다는 건 도망갈 곳이 없어진 거다. 지금까진 누구와의 갈등도 이렇게까지 깊게 제대로 해결할 필요까진 없었다면 이제 절벽을 뒤에 둔 느낌으로 최선을 다해 임해야 한다. 제대로 잘 싸워야 한다.

p. 115: 이 싸움의 목적이 뭔지 생각해본다. 나의 가장 잘 드는 무기를 찾아 쥐고 한 번에 숨통이 끊어지게 적의 급소에 꽂는 것인가? 다시는 일어날 수 없도록 흠씬 두들겨 패서 밟아버리는 것인가? 함께 사는 사람, 같이 살아가야 하는 사람과의 싸움은 잊어버리기 위한 싸움이다. 삽을 들고 감정의 물길을 판 다음 잘 흘려보내기 위한 싸움이다. 제자리로 잘 돌아오기 위한 싸움이다.
사람은 혼자서도 행복할 수 있지만 자신의 세계에 누군가를 들이기로 결정한 이상은, 서로의 감정과 안녕을 살피고 노력할 수 밖에 없다. 우리는 계속해서 싸우고, 곧 화해하고 다시 싸운다. 반복해서 용서했다가 또 실망하지만 여전히 큰 기대를 거는 일을 포기하지 않는다. 서로에게 계속해서 기회를 준다. 그리고 이렇게 이어지는 교전 상태가, 전혀 싸우지 않을 때의 허약한 평화보다 훨씬 건강함을 나는 안다.

p. 119: 동거인의 상사였던 이혜주 편집장님이 결혼 생활에 대해 이런 말씀을 하셨다고 한다. "둘만 같이 살아도 단체 생활이다." 동거인에게 가장 중요한 자질은 서로 라이프 스타일이 맞느냐 안 맞느냐보다, 공동 생활을 위해 노력할 마음이 있느냐 없느냐에 달렸을 것 같다. 그래야 갈등이 생겨도 봉합할 수 있다.

p. 205: 운동에 대해 내가 롤모델로 삼는 사람은 인스타에 가득한 몸짱 트레이너도, 어떤 프로 운동선수도 아닌 김하나의 어머니다. "느그, 늙으면 자신감이 어디서 나오는지 아나? 체력이다." 김하나의 어머니는 체구가 작고 언제나 몸이 약해서 늘 누워 계셨다는데, 40대 이후에 꾸준히 요가와 수영을 해오면서 지금은 이렇게 말씀하시는 정도가 되었다. 언젠가 우리를 부산역에 데려다주시면서 어머니는, 40대에 한창 수영을 배울 때 처음 잠영에 성공했던 이야기를 들려주셨다. "어떤 사람이 수영장 레인 끝에서 끝까지 숨을 참고 단번에 헤엄쳐 가는 거야. 저 사람은 참 대단하고 멋있구나 싶었는데 나는 그리 못할 것 같았어, 절대로. 숨을 도저히 못 참을 거 같더라고. 그런데 어느 날 한번 결심을 하고 나도 되는 데까지만 가보자, 했더니만 끝까지 갈 수가 있더라고. 숨 한 번도 안 쉬고 말이야. 어찌나 기본이 좋던지, 응? 그러니까 뭐든 안 된다고 생각하지 말고 한번 해보는 것도 좋아."

[Polly · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a delightful and heartwarming little book, filled with cute illustrations and beautifully curated photos. If you enjoy minimalist, artsy interior design, or soft furnishings aesthetic, or you’re a devoted cat lover, reading this book will likely be a soothing and enjoyable experience!

Beyond the visuals, the writing itself is light and effortlessly natural. The book centers around the daily interactions between two housemates, Hana and Sunwoo, told through their alternating perspectives. Reading this book is like watching a slice-of-life reality show. Despite their contrasting personalities and lifestyles, they always manage to reflect, communicate openly, and reach mutual understanding. This emotional honesty and balance in cohabitation is one of the book’s most compelling aspects.

Also, non-romantic cohabitation is another important topic in this book. It makes me rethink what intimacy really means.

Toward the end of the book, Sunwoo expresses a thought that resonates deeply:
互許終身，決定以婚姻這個強力約束綁住彼此，自然事件美好的事，但即便不是如此，在一個人的生命週期，假如能在某段時光相互照顧、成為彼此的依靠，不也是很溫暖嗎？既然個人欣然為彼此帶來這種福利，法律和制度就必須加以輔助才對。當有別於過往、形式多元的家庭變得更加穩固健康時，社會這個共同體的綜合幸福指數，必然也會跟著提升。
(Translation: Committing to spend your life with someone through the institution of marriage is, of course, a beautiful thing. But even outside of that, if two people can care for and rely on each other during a chapter of their lives, isn’t that also something warm and meaningful? If individuals willingly offer each other this kind of support, then laws and institutions should evolve to reflect and facilitate it. As these alternative forms of family become more stable and healthy, the overall happiness index of our society is bound to rise as well.)

What a beautiful and necessary perspective!