Book Review 18

Bibliography

Na, An. 2002. A Step from Heaven. Asheville, North Carolina: Penguin Group. 9780142500279

Plot Summary

Young Ju and her family move from Korea when she is a child to the United States. Though she has great expectations and hopes that America will be the place her family can thrive and do well, Young Ju’s dreams of a better life are slowly shattered by her father’s drinking, his preference for the son in the household, and her mother’s refusal to pull away from a man who abuses the entire family. Adding to her struggles, Young Ju must find the balance between being Korean and American, a balance that never seems to quite satisfy her family. Told in a raw yet flowing narrative format, A Step from Heaven takes the reader from Young Ju’s life as a child until she is getting ready to leave for college. Young Ju betters herself and eventually defies the father who has held her family in captivity for so long through his alcoholism. Though sometimes hard to read, the bond Young Ju establishes with her mother after her father has left offers hope and beauty rarely seen this clearly in literature.

Critical Analysis

Set first in Korea and then in the United States, A Step from Heaven takes the idea of a child confusing America with Heaven to show how many seeking a life here view the anything is possible optimism of the country. However, Young Ju and her family’s arrival and life in the states proves to be a removed from the celestial paradise expected, and the book reveals the inability to run from problems that exist within a family unit. In fact, though America offers many opportunities, the language barriers and plight of immigrants is painted in vivid colors throughout the pages of the book and complicates the characters already tumultuous lives.

One of the first qualities of this books readers will notice is the way Na writes this novel. Though it is in prose, the narrative format takes on a free verse poetic style that makes the reader feel they are floating through the pages. This style is necessary since the topics dealt with, such as alcoholism, abuse, and being displaced, can be abrupt and hit the reader with emotions that leave them staggering for breath. Na’s style makes getting through a child being kicked in the stomach by their own father and a mother beaten almost to death as her daughter finds the strength to call for help possible.

As Young Ju matures, trying to learn how to be a Korean American girl, she learns that it is okay to question the norms and stand against her oppressor, who happens to be her alcoholic father. Though at first blamed by her mother for the split in her family, Young Ju teaches her mother a lesson in self preservation and survival that can only come through the struggles of growing up in a family where everyday survival is a challenge.

Na treats the Korean culture with care, and though she points out some of the distinctions, she does not particularly spotlight the culture. Na uses the Korean phrases for mother and father and other words, and the reader easily adapts to understanding these terms due to the context in which Na places them. She shows the struggles of a family living with language barriers and the odd transition that takes place when the children are “Americanized” and the parents still trying to adapt to the changes. However, this book could be read by any struggling family, immigrant or not, anyone who has grown up with the influence of drugs or alcoholism, or any child who is ashamed that they live in a run down apartment and lies about their lot in life. The sibling rivalry and love between Young Ju and her brother, Joon, is a portrait of most sibling relationships with the added pressure of the male sibling being the more accepted by the father. However, this acceptance does not save Joon from the wrath or beatings of his father, and the pain both children experience makes Young Ju and Joon’s relationship stronger.

Na does not take the easy way out when it comes to her characters. The father, an obvious villain throughout the book that the reader has no problem seeing suffer, still is not written off by Na as a wasted life. As the book concludes, Young Ju is reminded, as is the reader, of how things started. We are taken back to the beginning when a well meaning father is trying to teach his daughter to face her fears and be brave as they jump waves in the ocean. Young Ju’s mother points out that he has not always been the way he turned out, and this may be the most important lesson of the book. Though the reader will have trouble forgiving the father’s transgressions, Na does everyone a favor by asking the characters and the reader to view lives as a whole, not as one still moment of bad decisions.


Review Excerpts

“…realistically captures this powerful contemporary story and gives authentic crispness to Korean words and phrases.” Publishers Weekly

“In a manner appropriate for all YAs, it deals with relationships, self-esteem, lying, conflict of cultures, poverty, gender differences and abuse as a result of alcoholism.” KLIATT

Connections

*Have students read La Linea, a book about two siblings attempting to move from Mexico to the United States to live because of what it has to offer. Have students discuss Young Ju and the protagonists expectations of the United States and the different experiences they have getting here and once they arrive. Students should share their findings with the class.
*Have students use a map to see where Young Ju lived when she was in Korea. Have students research this area to find out more about Young Ju's Korean birthplace.