A Step From Heaven

A Step From Heaven

Module 4

SLIS 5420/Module 4/June 28-4

Book for this Module

A Step From Heaven by An Na

Bibliographic

Na, An. (2001). A Step From Heaven. Ashville North Carolina: Front Street.

Summary
A Step From Heaven was about a Korean girl named Young Ju who's family moved to the United States in search of a better life; however this Americanized life was far from a better one. Young Ju's mother was expecting and they tried to fit in and do what the Americans did. The father became insecure and begin to drink, beat his wife and Young Ju. After her brother was born and a little older, daddy would abuse him as well.

The only friend Young had was a girl named Amanda and her father forbid her to see Amanda, and Young begin to live behind a tale of lies. From being dropped off at a house where she did not live or supposedly spending excessive amounts of time at the library. Although Young was a smart girl she desired the life of Amanda since hers was very dysfunctional.

My Impression
This book displays a fairly realistic view of children living with alcoholic parents whether immigrants or not must learn to cope the best way possible. Constantly living under embarrassment and torn between divulging the truth or living their life as a terrible dream.

Reviews
School Library Journal
Grade 8 up-An Na's 2002 Printz winning novel (Front St., 2001) is brought to full effect in this reading by Jina Oh. Young Ju emigrates from Korea with her parents when she is four a few months later they live in a shabby apartment in Southern California, and the family expanded to include a newborn baby boy. The parents work long hours at multiple jobs, and Young Ju struggles first to understand what is going on in school and then to be permitted to participate in typically American schoolgirl activities. The pressures of immigration, language difficulties, and oppositional cultural expectations lend Young Ju's father to become bitter and often a drunk man, physically abusive of his wife and, eventually his daughter. The stresses of the disintegrating family work on each of its member sending Young Ju's mother into a religious foray and her brother into a middle school truancy. By the time Young Ju is ready to leave for college her father has returned to Korea and her mother has been able to establish the family in their own American home. Each of the chapters in this emotionally succinct novel might be read as a short story, although the plot-the acclimation of one young girl to a new culture and to her own family is steady and at times suspenseful.

Use in Library Setting
This book could be used to inform students what to look for in case they feel someone may be in trouble and need assistance, but unsure how to reach out. Inviting speakers in to give professional advice on what signs to look for and how to handle it will be good. Also, a speaker who has experienced this type of abuse could come and have a short talk with the readers.