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Title: A Step from Heaven by an Na ISBN: 0-14-250027-5 Publisher: Puffin Pub. Date: January, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.38 (34 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Makes you laugh, and cry, and think.
Comment: It's amazing how few words An Na uses to tell so much story. In a series of simple but powerful vignettes An Na manages to distill the entire early life journey of one little girl, Young Ju, as she moves from toddlerhood through to young adulthood, in a strange country, with odd customs, strange people, and a different language. Throughout the book her staunch mother's character and resourcefulness shines through. We see a father's whose early enthusiasm falters as his his pride and and personal weakness overcome him. We see how both Young Ju and her brother react, grow, and model themselves after the things they see in their parents, and how their experiences shape them. There is no padding in this story, every episode serves to reveal some facet of the personality or growth of one of the characters. And nothing happens that is wanton or unmotivated. It's very pleasing to find a story with characters and events so well crafted.
I've never known much about Korean culture, but was astonished how easy An Na made it to simply slip into little Young Ju's mind, and to see the world from her perspective. Suddenly it makes complete sense that something as familiar as Coca Cola is now an evil black broth with fish bones that sting the insides of ones mouth and throat. American words are suddenly virtually unpronouncable, and aren't these people odd to have covered all their floors in "blankets"?
Another thing that I thought was really well done is how Young Ju's "voice" (or rather her thought landscape) matures subtly but unmistakably through the book. By reading only a few paragraphs at the begining of a chapter you can usually make a fairly accurate guess at her current age, without being explicitly told what it is. An Na amanages to do this without ever being condescending to the immature girl, but on the other hand the youthful voice is not entirely authentic either. It's more of an impressionistic sketch, because adult language is used throughout the book. It works very well though, and adds a lot to the charm.
This is one of those books where you feel that the author has spoken out of intimate familiarity with the subject matter. And even though the form is stylized, there is nothing fake about this story. It reveals deep and beautiful things about the characters, and teaches some universal truths about growing up, underprivileged and in alien surroundings.
According to the publisher the book is aimed at the "young adult" market, but I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys stories about growing up, and just generally great writing.
Rating: 5
Summary: An amazing story
Comment: A Step From Heaven is an amazing story of a young 4-year old Korean girl who hardly speaks a word of English but moves to America, where in Korea it has the reputation of being a step from heaven. Throughout the book, Young Ju grows up, developing and maturing with every page. You watch her take baby steps into adulthood starting at age 4 and finishing in college. A Step From Heaven grabbed my attention and held it from page 1 to page 156. It is very beautifully written with obvious skill and passion from the author, displaying an outstanding amount of reality. The book ommits a feeling that forces a tear when she is being abused and a quiver of joy whenever she accomplishes the slightests of acheivments. In just the right choice of wording, An Na protrays a sense of the weak understanding and the dashing mind of a 4-year-old that soon developes into the thoughts of an intelegent young woman with a diversity of understanding of her still newly aquired atmosphere as she guides her parents, who both spent their whole lives in Korea, through the complications of their new lives. A Step From Heaven has definatly become one of my favorite books.
Rating: 5
Summary: Superb!
Comment: A young girl from Korea, Young Ju, and her family experience what may be considered the underbelly of the American Dream, the hardship and struggle associated with making a new life in America once it's discovered that the streets are not paved with gold. Adding to the confusion of life in a new country, Young Ju's father acutely feels the mounting pressure to become a successful American while maintaining a proper Korean family. Chronicling her childhood years in southern California, Ju speaks frankly and hauntingly of the ways in which Ju, her brother, and mother create a new life while coping with the growing physical and emotional abuse associated with her dad's worsening alcohol addiction. One can't help but feel Ju's every pain and joy owing to Na's superb writing. This story leave you irrevocably wondering and concerned about the immigrant children who cross your path daily.
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Title: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson ISBN: 014131088X Publisher: Speak Pub. Date: 01 April, 2001 List Price(USD): $8.99 |
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Title: True Believer by Virginia Euwer Wolff ISBN: 0689852886 Publisher: Simon Pulse Pub. Date: 01 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer ISBN: 0689852223 Publisher: Atheneum Pub. Date: 01 September, 2002 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
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Title: Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff ISBN: 059048141X Publisher: Scholastic Pub. Date: February, 2003 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: Postcards from No Man's Land by Aidan Chambers ISBN: 0525468633 Publisher: Dutton Books Pub. Date: June, 2002 List Price(USD): $19.99 |
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