Na,An. A STEP FROM HEAVEN. New York: Speak, 2001. ISBN 0142500275
A STEP FROM HEAVEN is the story of a Korean girl's life from age four to college. It is her life's story of her family's transition from Korea to America which she thought would be heaven. Her family's world is shaken because the reality of moving didn't match their dream of moving.
"Uhmma", "Halmoni", "Apa", "Harabugi" are family names used interlingually throughout A STEP FROM HEAVEN. Clues given in the text help readers learn what each word means: "Halmoni, who is old and has a sleepy blanket face, says that a long time ago Apa was young like me and she could boss him around." A few other Korean words are used in the text but a significant one is "Mi Gook" which means America. Young Ju believes they both mean "heaven", so she has great expectations when she moves there. She hopes her father, Apa, will stop drinking and breaking things in the house. When her parents find out for sure they will be moving she sees and feels peace. "No more mean eyes over the rice bowl, and my stomach keeps the rice inside like a good stomach is supposed to do. I hope they will talk about Mi Gook forever and ever."
Much of the story centers around family dynamics and their importance for the Korean culture. In Korea Young Ju's family that lives together includes her grandmother and they move to America without her. Young Ju is upset by this. Her parents want desperately to fit in with the American way of life and feel it's the best place for people with big dreams of prosperity. Young Ju's aunt and uncle already live in America and offer her Coca Cola to drink because "you can become a Mi Gook girl. Here, try this drink. Everyone in Mi Gook love Ko-ka Ko-la. They drink it like water. You will love it too." Young ju looks at it and doesn't drink it right away. Her father becomes very upset and Young Ju knows she "cannot show bad manners." She forces herself to drink it out of respect for her father and other family members. This passage shows the conflict within her father of wanting the American lifestyle but clinging to his Korean background where children would not disrespect, disobey, or question a parent. As the story progresses and the American dream is not coming true for Young Ju's father more conflict becomes evident. The violence he has at home towards his wife and children increases because he is drinking more. He is missing work more often, shirking responsibility which is a trait taken very seriously in his culture. We see references to the Korean newspaper and his demands that Young Ju speak Korean at home and not befriend an American girl because "she is a bad influence." He expects Young Ju never to question him or "be someone other than a good Korean girl daughter."
Young Ju shows readers how it feels wanting to fit in with peers yet being pulled back because her parents don't approve of all things American. She is torn because she knows her parents brought her to America for a better life yet she is corrected for not being Korean. She feels embarrassed by her home and family and keeps it hidden from her American friend. She will not allow her friend to see her home or meet her family. Yet, Young Ju feels comfortable going to the Korean church. The author really allows us to see the struggles of each member of this family that most would never have realized existed because many display a strong, unified front.
Another cultural marker related to the family values is the importance placed on education. Young Ju excels at school because her parents value education and she strives to please her parents. When she receives an award at school for her grades her mother is sad she could not attend because she had to work. Her mother wants to know it she bowed or had to make a speech and if she should send a gift to the principal because "he is a very important man."
A STEP FROM HEAVEN is a great book to help readers understand that just like abuse is often well-hidden within a home, so too are the struggles of a family moving from one country to another.
BOOKLIST: "As in the best writing, the particulars make the story, a first novel, universal."
THE HORN BOOK: "An Na displays an astonishing and memorable force."
Locate Korea on a map and try to learn other words in Korean.
Read other Michael Printz Award winners:
LOOKING FOR ALASKA by John Green
ISBN 9780142402511
POSTCARDS FROM NO MAN'S LAND by Aidan Chambers
ISBN 9780142401453
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