Description: Pedaling hard to hold on to hope in the midst of hardship! Hojin, angry over his parents' decision to divorce, once ran away from home in the beloved story The Troublesome Bicycle Trip, published in 2009 and cherished by readers ever since. Now, ten years later, comes the sequel: The Troublesome Bicycle Trip 2: The Last Journey, which follows Hojin as he rides his bicycle with his mom and dad all the way from Busan to Seoul. Watching Hojin give his all to hold his crumbling family together is deeply moving. As they ride together, sweating and pushing forward side by side, the distance between their hearts slowly closes—and through Hojin's family, readers will rediscover the true meaning of family. "Sometimes I think life is a lot like a bicycle trip. When it gets so hard I want to sit down and give up, I ask myself: which hill am I climbing right now? I keep pedaling quietly, trusting that a downhill stretch will come eventually. I'll be cheering everyone on as they make their own journey." — from the Author's Note Pedaling hard to find hope in the midst of hardship! This is the second installment of author Kim Nam-jung's beloved series, following the story that has touched readers for the past ten years since The Troublesome Bicycle Trip (2009). In the first book, sixth-grader Shin Hojin runs away from home, furious about his parents' decision to divorce. After completing an 11-night, 12-day bicycle trip around the country with strangers, Hojin makes one last attempt to save his family—by convincing his mom and dad to join him on another bicycle journey. The second book follows Hojin's family as they cycle from Busan all the way to Seoul. At first, his parents—who reluctantly agreed to the trip because of Hojin's desperate pleading—barely speak to each other, show no consideration for one another, and even try to avoid sharing a room at night. But as they pedal together, sweat together, share water, and climb hills side by side, their hearts slowly begin to grow closer. Author Kim Nam-jung delicately portrays Hojin's unwavering determination to find hope even in hardship, alongside his parents' gradual journey toward understanding each other. As the author has shared, this sequel was written in response to the passionate requests of young readers she met at her lectures—making this book a heartfelt gift for anyone who remembers the first story. Discovering the True Meaning of Family, One Mile at a Time As they ride together and sweat together, Hojin's family slowly grows closer—opening up honestly about their feelings while also trying to understand one another. Dad confesses that he was recently laid off from his job, admitting that although he always worked hard, things had become unbearably difficult. Mom shares a wound she'd kept hidden: the hurt she felt when Dad didn't support her decision to start her own business. Listening to his parents talk, Hojin realizes there was so much going on that he never knew about, and he begins to understand his parents' hearts just a little more. Watching Hojin's determined efforts to hold his family together, his parents feel both proud of how much their son has grown and a quiet ache for what he's going through. And through an accident along the way, all three of them are given a chance to reflect on just how much their family truly means to them. Having come to understand one another through their journey, Hojin's family decides to keep living as though life itself were one long journey—supporting, caring for, and encouraging each other along the way. True to his storytelling style, always firmly rooted in real life, author Kim Nam-jung resists a hasty happy ending, instead closing the story by planting a seed of hope: the resolve to try, once again, to hold their family together. Through Hojin's family, readers will come to appreciate anew just how precious their own families are. Warm People and Beautiful Scenery Along the Way Following Hojin's family as they cycle from Busan to Seoul, readers will also meet many warm-hearted people along the road. When a sudden downpour in Gumi makes cycling nearly impossible, a kind stranger appears driving a tiller and welcomes Hojin's family into his home...