A Step from Heaven

Feb 01, 2011 karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: and-so-this-is-grad-school

this book was very (view spoiler) i didn't think i was going to like it because it started out in the voice of (view spoiler)which was too (view spoiler) for me, but it thankfully changed as the female child-character grows up to show the slow acclimitization and americanization of a korean family and the struggles and triumphs they undergo, while still holding on to their roots. it is actually a very graceful and delica...more

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Jul 30, 2010 Tatiana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Tatiana by: printz

Shelves: printz, ala-ya-2002, national-book-award, 2010, children-s-middle-school

Here continues my quest to read all Printz winner books. This one wasn't as impressive as I expected it to be, but 4 stars nonetheless. I'll explain.

A Step from Heaven is story of a Korean family who come to the States to better their lives but fail at it because they bring with them their own personal troubles (mostly in a form of an abusive good-for-nothing father) and their traditional and foreign ideas of pride, honor, and submission.

A Step from Heaven is a gem of a book. In terms of litera...more

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Apr 01, 2009 Cate rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-class-books, teen-books

4Q 2P MJ

A Step From Heaven is about a Korean girl who moves to America with her parents at a young age. As a child of immigrants, Young Ju feels torn between loyalty toward her family and culture and the American way of life. Her parents work long hours in unpleasant jobs and struggle to instill traditional Korean culture into their children. The writing style is very poetic and the narrator’s descriptions are very emotional.

The book is similar to others that I read, such as American Born Chine...more

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Mar 04, 2009 Best rated it 4 of 5 stars

A Korean family emigrates to the United States in search of a better life. Told from the viewpoint of the daughter, the story follows her from age four to age sixteen. She and her family encounter language difficulties, feelings of isolation, a struggle for identity, and an abusive relationship with her father. Young Ju, the daughter, goes to school with no understanding of English, and develops into one of the top members of her class. Apa, the father, begins to resent her acquisition of Englis...more A Korean family emigrates to the United States in search of a better life. Told from the viewpoint of the daughter, the story follows her from age four to age sixteen. She and her family encounter language difficulties, feelings of isolation, a struggle for identity, and an abusive relationship with her father. Young Ju, the daughter, goes to school with no understanding of English, and develops into one of the top members of her class. Apa, the father, begins to resent her acquisition of English and her successful assimilation into American culture. He resents those who understand English, mistrusts the intensions of Americans, and becomes abusive with his family. Uhmma, the mother, adapts much more readily, is able to stay focused on the dream of becoming American and allowing her children to live a better life. She and the children join a church, in order to become more accepted and further assimilated into the culture. Apa; however, holds the family back, punishing them for their successes. Eventually, the struggle to fit in becomes too much for Apa, and he moves back to Korea. The rest of the family remains in America and is finally allowed to develop as Americans.

The book exhibits especially unique literary quality. It challenges the reader through Young Ju’s translation of English, particularly in the early chapters. The intermixing of Korean and the youth of the narrator also provide credibility to the story. Young Ju’s life experience, or lack thereof, pose additional challenges to both the reader’s and Young Ju’s understanding of various situations. In spite of the challenges, the story is engaging and clever. The division of chapters into small vignettes about the family’s experience helps the book flow without seeming too disjointed.

I really enjoyed this book. There were sections that were difficult to get through, such as the various abusive scenes with the father, but by that point in the story, I was so interested and vested in the story that I couldn’t stop. This book would appeal to YAs because of the format of short chapters, which makes is more accessible. Also, the fact that Young Ju doesn’t feel as though she is part of her own family is something that some YAs might identify with fairly closely. The most interesting aspect of the book is the way the reader can see Young Ju’s literary and verbal growth and grasp of English as the story progresses. I would absolutely recommend this book to YA and adults.(less)

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Feb 04, 2009 Amy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: michael-l-printz-award

This is the story of a Korean immigrant family who are looking for the American dream. They come to America when Young is five and believe it will solve all of their problems. They quickly discover that all of their personal problems and most of their everyday life problems have come with them. Young, eventually, advocates for her mother against her abusive, alcoholic father who leaves and the family begins to heal.

This book will appeal to teens who have an interest in poetry because it is writt...more

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May 07, 2013 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: asian-characters, abuse, realistic-fiction, printz-award

Na, A. (2001). A step from heaven. New York, New York: SPEAK.

A Step from Heaven is a novel about a Korean girl named Young Ju and her character development from early childhood to her late teens. The story starts out in Korea where her family consists of her mother, father, and grandmother, who she is very close to. Her father’s business as a fisherman is doing poorly, and her mother’s sister, or aunt, Domo told Young Ju’s parents that life in America is much better. So her parents decide to lea...more Na, A. (2001). A step from heaven. New York, New York: SPEAK.

A Step from Heaven is a novel about a Korean girl named Young Ju and her character development from early childhood to her late teens. The story starts out in Korea where her family consists of her mother, father, and grandmother, who she is very close to. Her father’s business as a fisherman is doing poorly, and her mother’s sister, or aunt, Domo told Young Ju’s parents that life in America is much better. So her parents decide to leave Korea and start a new life in America. In America, Young Ju misses her grandmother, has to learn English and teach her parents, and deal with the pending birth of her baby brother. The characters advance in age, and one of the story arcs is that Young Ju’s father becomes an alcoholic, depressed, and abusive. Young Ju must learn how to navigate through the confusion of mixed messages: culturally, women and girls are to be subservient to men and boys. Females are known as the weaker sex, and aren’t supposed to attain achievements. Because her father perceived himself to be a failure, he took it out on his wife and children. The good news is that in the end, the father leaves the family, and Young Ju, her mother, and her brother save up to buy a house of their own, and Young Ju goes off to college.

I enjoyed reading A Step from Heaven. It’s a novel about immigration, identity, gender stereotypes, family dynamics, socioeconomics, growing up, and dreams. From the get-go, I was rooting for Young Ju to persevere through her move to America. The fact that the author uses the first person and writes from the perspective of a little girl is so endearing and the reader can’t help but feel sympathy for Young Ju. What Young Ju thinks and feels is present from when she’s a little girl in Korea to when she is almost an adult leaving for college. All the while, one sees how Young Ju carefully straddled the two worlds of expectations that her parents set for her and what white America sets for her. She learned to be comfortable in her own skin, even though that meant calling the police on her father who beat his mother, and resulted in her mother alienating and blaming her for the father going away. The themes and content of this novel might be too mature for a younger tween, but I think it would be most appropriate for 7th and 8th graders.

Genre: realistic fiction

Reading level/interest level: Tween, Young Adult, Adult

Similar books/materials: Fresh Off the Boat and Inside Out & Back Again because of the themes of immigration, assimilation, and coming-of-age

Reader’s advisory notes:

i. personal thoughts: The material in this novel might be too mature for some younger tweens, but I think older tweens could handle it. It’s very well-written and the quality of writing surpasses any doubt that the material might be inappropriate, even though themes of abuse and swear words are present in the novel.
ii. subjects/themes: loss, fear, change, coming-of-age, immigration, poverty, school life, family dynamics, physical abuse, alcoholism, gender stereotypes, assimilation
iii. awards: Printz Award
iv. series information
v. character names/description: Young Ju, protagonist, Korean girl whose family moves to America for a better life, Uhmma, her mother, works three jobs to help the family stay viable; Apa, her father, depressed, sees himself as a failure because he can’t provide what his wife thinks is enough for the family, alcoholic, abusive towards his wife and children; Joon, her younger brother, is allowed a lot more lee way than his sister because his father is more permissive just because he’s a boy
vi. annotation: Young Ju hears that America is heaven. Then she learns that maybe America is a step from heaven. After living there for a while, she wonders how that is so.(less)

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Feb 25, 2013 Kathryn Carlsen added it

Shelves: lit-for-adolescence

I found this book to be surprisingly great and interesting. I think that young readers could really relate to this while learning about a new background that they may not be familiar with. I think that this shows a lot of societal truth about the American culture as well. One thing that comes to mind is the bystander effect, when people witnessing a crime don't call the police because they just assume someone else will. This is very evident in during the scenes in which the family is being abuse...more

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Feb 25, 2013 Alex rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: literature-for-adolescents

Reading An Na’s A Step from Heaven started out as a confusing recollection of a young girl who was uprooted from her Korean home and moved to America. However, as I read the book, not only did the format drastically change, but the perception of the story changed, as well. A characteristic that made this book great in the beginning was the optimism of every family member regarding the trip to “Mi Gook.” Another positive aspect of A Step from Heaven is the format in which Na writes. In the begin...more Reading An Na’s A Step from Heaven started out as a confusing recollection of a young girl who was uprooted from her Korean home and moved to America. However, as I read the book, not only did the format drastically change, but the perception of the story changed, as well. A characteristic that made this book great in the beginning was the optimism of every family member regarding the trip to “Mi Gook.” Another positive aspect of A Step from Heaven is the format in which Na writes. In the beginning, the story is told in broken English, short choppy sentences, and confusing conversations regarding who is speaking. The best part of the story is the narrators first day of school in America; as the narrator, Young Ju, colors with a “red stick” that when used on paper “the color stays there.” As an American, I take the use of color pencils and crayons for granted. Part of the effectiveness of Na’s book, is the eye opening experiences associated with reading. Besides the use of color pencils and crayons, the pressure of success and obedience to one’s parents are fundamentals in the Korean culture that I did not know until I read this book. Young Ju is expected to listen to everything her parents say – especially the father. The patriarchal family also expects academic greatness.

The downfalls of this book flow from the very beginning of the book. I understand the idea behind the progression of the writing style: when the Park family first arrived in America, their English is choppy, making the writing from their lives also choppy, transforming into the writing American readers are used to when the Park family established themselves into the community and culture of America. However, as I read the beginning, and occasionally throughout the book, I lost what character was speaking the which line. In the beginning, when Young Ju is talking to Harabugi, her grandmother, the conversation about prayer loses luster because I did not know who was speaking. Obviously, I can tell that the questions about prayer were Young Ju’s questions, but if an adult conversation occurred, I am sure that I would not have known who was speaking
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Feb 25, 2013 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: literature-for-adolescentss

An Na's "A Step from Heaven" is an incredible story of a young Korean girl and her family navigating their way in "heaven" aka, The United States. Soon the family discovers that "heaven" is not everything they thought it would be and Young Ju, the main character, tries to balance her embarrassing home life with her new, "American" life. The book explored the difficulties of immigrant families as they adjust to life in the United States. Although Young Ju is able to succeed in school and has a fe...more

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Feb 25, 2013 Devin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adolescent-literature

A Step from Heaven follows the journey of a young Korean immigrant through her early years in Korea, to immigrating to the United States as a young girl, and all the way to a few weeks before she leaves for college. It is a remarkable novel that reveals the resilience of children, the determination of a young family, and the strength in each of us to carve a new life for ourselves. When Young Ju and her family move to America, they are faced with the issues many immigrants face: only a few conta...more A Step from Heaven follows the journey of a young Korean immigrant through her early years in Korea, to immigrating to the United States as a young girl, and all the way to a few weeks before she leaves for college. It is a remarkable novel that reveals the resilience of children, the determination of a young family, and the strength in each of us to carve a new life for ourselves. When Young Ju and her family move to America, they are faced with the issues many immigrants face: only a few contacts, minimum wage jobs, and poor living conditions. Young Ju's Uhmma, her mother, is a strong but submissive Korean woman, hopeful and full of dreams but bound by her honor to an abusive husband who turns out to be quite different from the man she fell in love with. Young Ju is the oldest child and is highly intelligent and intuitive, but she is viewed as less by her father because she is a girl. Her younger brother is spoiled and indulged as a child, but Apa, their father, abuses Joon with ideas of what it means to be a man. Apa is verbally and physically abusive, resorting to alcoholism to deal with his emotional issues. In the end, he decides to return to Korea, and Uhmma and the children get a chance to really dream and grow.

This book deals with issues that could resonate with almost anyone, but especially minorities and immigrants. In today's American classroom, children come from all different backgrounds, races, and ethnicities. It is vital to find literature that reaches past caucasian, middle class Americans and impacts other readers. Young Ju deals with shame over her living conditions, stereotypes of her race, and the blending of her family's culture with the one she is growing up in. She feels the pressure of her family desiring success for her and the expectations to perform well in school and society, but she is also forbidden to become like the American girls she is surrounded by, virtually isolating her from friendships. She feels she must decide between being an obedient Korean daughter and an independent American woman, but she finds a bit of both within her. Young Ju must also deal with the dysfunction of an emotionally incompetent father who models misogynistic actions for her brother; she eventually finds the strength to call the police as Apa beats Uhmma, but this healthy decision is not without repercussions. This could affect even the "privileged" classes in America, because abuse does not stem from a lack of money or opportunity but crosses ethnic and economic lines.

I believe that one of the biggest themes within this story is the idea of living in a world of opportunity and dreams, if only you have the courage to make the best of it. Uhmma never stops dreaming of a better life for herself and her family, but she does not have the courage to leave Apa even when he is the one holding them back. Soon is full of bitterness from his father, but he finds himself and his wings after all. Young Ju models this the most, with her constant questioning of "Why?" and her desire to spread her wings. Ironically, it is Apa who teaches her to be brave, to face her fears and play in the waves even when it seems like she might drown. And despite who Apa becomes and Uhmma never quite assimilating to life in America, Young Ju makes it. The story closes with her leaving for college in America on a full ride scholarship. Uhmma has moved out of a disgusting apartment to her own house. They have been strong in the face of horrible adversity, teaching readers that no matter what life throws at them, they can handle it.

Literarily, this is a brilliant book. At times, it is difficult to figure out what is Korean dialogue and what is narrative because Na uses quotation marks only for when characters speak English. However, only a few places are truly confusing; the rest flows like a beautiful, painful, fragmented memory of conversation and smell and intense emotional feeling. The seemingly sporadic memories actually flow quite well, and each memory evokes an emotional response on the part of the reader because Young Ju's voice allows for connection. While there is some cursing and intense language, it is perfectly age appropriate for early high schol students; it reads easily and deals with themes they need to address.

God's truth is also evident in this book, especially in Uhmma and Halmoni, Young Ju's grandmother. Both are women of prayer and faith, but Uhmma must become a woman who acts as well as prays. Halmoni is a rock, and her lessons on prayer stay with Young Ju for the rest of her life. Young Ju wrestles with faith because she does not see its purpose. However, when Apa is beating Uhmma for the last time, Young Ju decides that praying takes too long and she is going to answer her own prayer, which is a reality many Christians need to face. We have been equipped with God's strength and wisdom and need to use our heads. Joon is very apathetic toward religion and only goes to church for a while because his friends are there. But though we never hear his views on religion in the end, he seems to have improved enormously from the kid who skipped school and wondered around like a vulture.

Overall, I gave this book five stars because it is a quality work of literature that is incredibly relevant to kids and adults alike. It is a powerful narrative and is full of the stuff real life is made up of: it is relevant to the American born student and the immigrant alike. Most of all, it is full of the truth that a person can beat whatever life throws his or her way with a lot of strength and support, but most of all a determination to be different.

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Feb 24, 2013 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adolescent-lit-class

A Step From Heaven, by An Na is a very thought provoking, heartfelt with the loss of child innocence, and emotional experiences of a young girl growing up in America with a family who is trying to transition into an American lifestyle. At first, I found the book rather endearing with Young Ju's first innocentmemories as a young girl in Korea with the sea. Her adorable sense and perception of what heaven is, strikes me at my heart as she soon finds out what she thought was heaven, ended up being...more

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Feb 24, 2013 Courtney rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adolescent-literature

A Step From Heaven, An Na’s debut novel, is written as a series of memories from the first person perspective of Young Ju, a Korean child whose parents immigrate to America when she is four years old. Although there are large gaps of time between these memories, they all contribute to the reader’s understanding of Young Ju’s family’s dynamic relationships with each other. After moving to America and finding that it is not the heaven she expected, Young Ju must constantly face the realities of...more A Step From Heaven, An Na’s debut novel, is written as a series of memories from the first person perspective of Young Ju, a Korean child whose parents immigrate to America when she is four years old. Although there are large gaps of time between these memories, they all contribute to the reader’s understanding of Young Ju’s family’s dynamic relationships with each other. After moving to America and finding that it is not the heaven she expected, Young Ju must constantly face the realities of being a Korean American, divided between two cultures. When at home, her parents, her father especially, want her to act like a “good Korean girl,” but at the same time they want her to excel at her American school and learn to speak English. Young Ju’s difficult transition is made even more complicated by a difficult home environment.
Since I read this book for my adolescent literature class, I was surprised when the protagonist was only four years old at the start of the story; however, I soon came to appreciate the detailed and nuanced portrayal of Young Ju that An Na was able to achieve by following this character for most of her early life. Even though Young’s voice matured as she grew, An Na achieved a coherence within the novel that allows her reader to feel as if they are growing with Young. She aptly combines the normal issues of adolescence with the circumstances that result from Young’s unique situation. This book addresses themes of friendship, sibling rivalry, individualization, and abuse.
Because I am not an immigrant myself, I could not personally relate to the difficulties Young faced when moving to a new country, but some of her struggles are universal. I think this book would be highly beneficial for adolescents who are struggling to form an identity for themselves out of two cultures. I also think that any adolescent would benefit from reading this novel. It could help them become more empathetic and open to their peers of another culture by showing them that some problems of adolescence are universal, not inhibited by cultural, ethnic, or geographical bounds. It also sheds light on some issues that teens may want to talk about but do not know how to approach. An Na’s first novel is a success because it challenges her readers to think outside of themselves while also confronting the personal issues they may be facing as young adults. (less)

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Feb 23, 2013 Avery Malmgren rated it 5 of 5 stars

A Step from Heaven illuminates the confusing transition Young Ju experiences moving to Mi Gook (America). The novel highlights relationships and culture. The book demonstrates the tarnishing of relationships through the stress Mi Gook demands. An Na clearly describes the disagreements between the Korean and American cultures involving achievement, which makes it hard for Young Ju to find her loyalties in the novel. A Step from Heaven: America, is depicted as a step down from heaven. Something n...more A Step from Heaven illuminates the confusing transition Young Ju experiences moving to Mi Gook (America). The novel highlights relationships and culture. The book demonstrates the tarnishing of relationships through the stress Mi Gook demands. An Na clearly describes the disagreements between the Korean and American cultures involving achievement, which makes it hard for Young Ju to find her loyalties in the novel. A Step from Heaven: America, is depicted as a step down from heaven. Something not good enough. Through out the novel An Na forces the reader to question if moving to America is worth it, because beginning in a new country demands restarting from the bottom. Throughout the novel the reader could see the allure that the foreigners saw coming to America, and then experiencing disappointments and hardship once they arrived. An Na developed many metaphors throughout her novel that helped demonstrate Young Ju's feelings and hurts. This literal element develops the plot in the story as well as helps the reader peer into the eyes of Young Ju's experience in America. The novel also challenges the reader to think about stereotypes. Not only do Americans fall into stereotypes, but Young Ju's family struggles with them. These stereotypes of American society, like the behavior of young American women, challenge Young Ju's view and cause dissonance with her family. This struggle only further illuminates the challenge Young Ju has of maintaining her culture while trying to grow in her new life in Mi Gook. The role of Young Ju's parents in the novel provide an opportunity for good discussion among readers. I found it interesting that many of the complaints and struggles Apa had with Uhmma are not struggles Uhmma had caused, but only problems that reflected back upon Apa. For example, Apa had put expectations upon himself that he could not meet, and blamed them on Uhmma. The novel develops the effects of stress on families that all readers can understand, because the struggles are cross-cultural.
While the novel develops Young Ju's life in America, having more background information about Halmoni and Habugi would have helped the reader understand what Young Ju left behind. In addition, adding more background about Halmoni's religion and developing this theme in the novel more concretely earlier would have made the impact of the characters rejection or acceptance of religion more effective. The development of Amanda's parents as characters frustrated me throughout the novel. While An Na may have made them the "perfect family" for stereotypical reasons, their obliviousness and overwhelming kindness towards Young Ju put a shallow view of Americans in my mind. Demonstrating a family with struggles that Young Ju could identify with would have been interesting to see in this novel. However, if the family was not perfect then the devastation of Young Ju's struggle with community would not have been as significant.
Overall the novel reflected strength. Strength to move on, strength to pursue dreams, strength to stand up for oneself, and strength to try. The novel teaches readers that strength develops in many different ways depending on a person's background and dreams. The novel develops the realization that one must come to a point to either pursue strength or give up. Both of these points of view are seen in the novel.(less)

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Feb 19, 2013 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adolescent-literature

A Step from Heaven is an emotional, daring work in the genre of Adolescent Literature. An Na writes about Young Ju, a little Korean girl who is a dreamer. Young Ju's parents try to diminish her dreams, but her grandmother encourages her creativity and brings her closer to The Lord. As the novel progresses, Young Ju faces radical changes that leave her with some serious decisions to make.
Many issues brought up in the novel are on a deeper level than in typical Adolescent Literature. Abuse, cul...more A Step from Heaven is an emotional, daring work in the genre of Adolescent Literature. An Na writes about Young Ju, a little Korean girl who is a dreamer. Young Ju's parents try to diminish her dreams, but her grandmother encourages her creativity and brings her closer to The Lord. As the novel progresses, Young Ju faces radical changes that leave her with some serious decisions to make.
Many issues brought up in the novel are on a deeper level than in typical Adolescent Literature. Abuse, culture differences, drugs, alcohol, poverty, faith, neglect, and honesty are all addressed in A Step from Heaven. While this book is a heavy read for young learners, I believe the topics addressed are important to learn about and discuss. In addition, An Na does a beautiful job of portraying the serious consequences of temptations in modern America-and Young Ju does a wonderful job of contemplating and handling it. Young Ju's story and example is a powerful way for young readers to learn about the brokenness of our world and see redemption.
One significant way An Na shows redemption is through a relationship with God. Young Ju's grandmother portrays the God of the Bible accurately. Religion isn't pushed in A Step from Heaven (it can be taught in a secular setting), but Adolescent Literature does have a responsibility to address all of the issues in the mind of a young adult-including religion.
The most prevalent theme in the book is Young Ju's growth. She learns to be independent and eventually makes a decision that both changes lives and saves them. These decisions aren't easy for a girl struggling between two cultures, with abuse, and poverty. Because of this, most young adults can easily relate with Young Ju.
Finally, I recommend this book because it is a literary masterpiece as a whole. The emotional, powerful storyline is conveyed with a funny, yet contemplative tone that is appealing to readers. Cleverly, An Na develops the language skills in Young Ju's narration gradually throughout the book to reflect her growth and give readers a concrete idea of the changes immigrants have when coming to America. Young Ju sees America as Heaven, but soon learns that life is what you make it. Her self-empowerment and genuine love is a positive, yet truthful message for young readers in our negative society. I give A Step from Heaven five stars!!!!!
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Nov 02, 2012 Nick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Why did I read it?

This was one of the books for my Diversity in Children's Literature class, and it also won the 2002 Michael L. Printz Award.

What happened?

Young Ju doesn't know what Mi Gook means, but she is pretty sure it means heaven. Her friend tells her that she won't be coming back once she goes there, and every time her struggling Apa (father) and Uhmma (mother) say the word, they associate it with a better place, and happiness. It can even make her Apa stop hitting her Uhmma. But, it tur...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Theresa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adolescent-lit

This book blew my expectations out of the water. Looking at the cover and reading the first few chapters, I felt as though it was a typical “other culture” book… meant to broaden my sympathies for kids growing up in other cultures. I did learn that lesson, but not at all in the way I expected.
I was happily surprised at the ending. Because everything seemed to go from bad, to worse, to even worse, it felt as though the ending was not going to redeem it. You know those books where it’s an anti-h...more This book blew my expectations out of the water. Looking at the cover and reading the first few chapters, I felt as though it was a typical “other culture” book… meant to broaden my sympathies for kids growing up in other cultures. I did learn that lesson, but not at all in the way I expected.
I was happily surprised at the ending. Because everything seemed to go from bad, to worse, to even worse, it felt as though the ending was not going to redeem it. You know those books where it’s an anti-happy-ending? I was totally expecting one. I grew angrier and angrier at Apa throughout the story. For a long time, I forgave him simply because he came from a different culture: he was older and very set in his Korean identity, so I didn’t expect him to assimilate into American culture. The scene where Apa and Young Ju get her green card renewed made me very angry. From that point forward, I expected the story was going in the wrong direction. Even after him hitting Uhmma and his children so many times, I couldn’t forgive him for resisting open communication with his daughter. I never realized how severely Korean culture represses women’s rights. I didn’t realize until very far into the book how strongly Uhmma hoped for Young Ju to find independence. It broke my heart how trapped Uhmma must have felt… probably for decades.
I felt confused about Ju’s lie in school about her brother dying… how that never saw any consequences even after a decade. I eventually got used to the big jumps in time, but I was surprised that her biggest lie never saw any punishment, while she was constantly punished for simply asking “why” questions. Actually, that was probably my biggest sadness through this book: the fact that Americans encourage children to ask “why,” yet Korean culture (or perhaps simply Apa’s tyranny) violently forces children only toward submission.
I loved thinking about Halmoni and the sea in Korea… how Young Ju felt such a longing for flight and for waves, even though her Korean culture was the thing that hurt her the most for her whole life. My feelings were conflicted but I loved that Ju’s character could be strong enough to withstand the abuse, and long for her true home and the love she knew was waiting for her there.
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Oct 15, 2012 Fenway Park rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adolescent-books

This book is eye opening for americans and for those that are moving to our country. We Americans do not realize things that we do, we all go with the flow and do not realize that things are really complicated and confusing for those that are not use to it. For examples, money in our country is completely different than in another country. This is because they do not have the job force that we have here and things are a lot cheaper and "easier" for them. As they do not worry about the newest thi...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Cheeky_Monkey rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is such a beautiful book. The voice is so clear, and it really puts you into the head of a small child who's confused about her move to America. The title of this book comes from a cute scene where Young Ju is convinced that America is Heaven and she is told that it's not quite Heaven, but a step from it. She tries very hard to fit in once she's in America, which is difficult because she doesn't speak much English. Not only that, but her family is very poor and her father sometimes beats he...more

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Apr 24, 2012 Sam Cochran rated it 3 of 5 stars

The book, A Step From Heaven, by An Na, is an amazing, realistic story about Young Ju, a girl from Korea, who moves to America. As she struggles to overcome many obstacles and hardships, she learns that in America, she has the opprtunity to be whoever she wants to be, and lead any life she wants. This book, comprised of many short storys, exemplifies the American Dream in many ways; Young Ju, the protagonist, has the privelige of being able to work to be able to improve her conditions. Set in 20...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Ani Phelps rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book started out a little slow but had me in tears at the end.

It is about a girl who moved to America from Korea when she was four. Being a child of immigrants and an immigrant herself, her parents have strict rules and the transition for her is far from easy.

She started to feel like something was changing in her family. After her grandmother died, her father started drinking and smoking and only went to work sometimes. One night, when she felt something was not right, she stayed up and pee...more

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Mar 13, 2012 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Printz award winner. The story is sad but very moving. I understood the few words of Korean that are used here and there because of my friend Terri. Also, I can't believe the song Gomo Terri sang for Holly is in here! Love that. And now I know what it looks like written down! It reminds me of the sweet Japanese children's songs I learned when I was little.

"I close my eyes and Uhmma sings the mountain rabbit song. This is my song, only Halmoni was the one who would rub my back and sing it to me...more

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Feb 18, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adolescent-literature

A Step from Heaven used unique writing styles and deep characters to share a story of culture, struggle, and perseverance. An Na's writings of aspects of Korean culture was a very interesting element of the story. Some of these cultural trends were deviant of the stereotypical elements of this culture that I had. The description of a very aggressive father was different than what I may have initially thought of. As a reader, I became emotionally involved with the character, at times becoming ang...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Ben Peltier rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adolescent-literature

Not only does An Na’s A Step from Heaven tell an excellent story, but the manner in which she tells this story and the issues brought up within it make it a fantastic book.

The story describes the childhood of Young Ju, a South Korean girl who moves to America very early in her life. Young Ju’s growth is not only shown through her experiences in the story, but it is also shown in the writing style. As the story begins, the sentences are short and choppy. They are what one might expect from a fo...more Not only does An Na’s A Step from Heaven tell an excellent story, but the manner in which she tells this story and the issues brought up within it make it a fantastic book.

The story describes the childhood of Young Ju, a South Korean girl who moves to America very early in her life. Young Ju’s growth is not only shown through her experiences in the story, but it is also shown in the writing style. As the story begins, the sentences are short and choppy. They are what one might expect from a four year old. As the story continues and Young Ju learns more English, the writing becomes clearer and more grammatically correct. This style is so fascinating because as the sentences increase in complexity so do the thoughts of Young Ju.

One of the main issues discussed in this book is the treatment of females in traditional Korean society. Young Ju’s father explicitly tells her that she is not as important to him as his son is, and that she will never be as important. These harsh words and the love he withholds from her cause Young Ju much pain. He was a terrible father in more ways than this one, but I do not think that he fully realized how hurt she was by his actions toward her. In my life, and the lives of adolescent readers of this book, we probably do not always understand how much hurt we can cause with our comments toward others. We may say something that we mean to be funny or sarcastic that the recipient of the statement is actually really hurt by. A Step from Heaven clearly articulates that the words we say to one another do matter.

Another aspect of this book that makes it excellent is the way that Young Ju overcomes the trials that she faces. She enters a country that speaks a different language, her father is abusive both physically and emotionally, her mother is distanced because she has to work so much to provide for the family, she partially raises her younger brother because her parents are gone so much, yet she overcomes all of these struggles and graduates high school with excellent grades and a plan to go to college. Young Ju has so many problems affecting her life, but instead of falling under the weight of them, she uses them to fuel her motivation to better herself. Any adolescent reader and even I can find encouragement in this story. We may never have to face as many struggles as she did, but the fact that she did face them and overcame them can motivate us to overcome our own personal struggles.(less)

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Jan 19, 2012 Brian Kelley rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found An Na's A Step from Heaven while revising curriculum for the Common Core with colleagues. We're pouring through the new text and materials and this novel about a Korean family's acculturation into American life catches my eye--after doing a little research through the stellar reviews online I thought maybe this is something to build into the curriculum?

A relatively short read at a 160 pages, the writing gripped me immediately. Told from the first-person perspective of the daughter, Young...more I found An Na's A Step from Heaven while revising curriculum for the Common Core with colleagues. We're pouring through the new text and materials and this novel about a Korean family's acculturation into American life catches my eye--after doing a little research through the stellar reviews online I thought maybe this is something to build into the curriculum?

A relatively short read at a 160 pages, the writing gripped me immediately. Told from the first-person perspective of the daughter, Young-Ju, the novel begins when Young-Ju is a toddler and on the beach with a parent. The writing (the thinking of the narrator) is in the language of a Korean toddler--as a reader I had to work a bit to keep up as there are Korean names and references to grandfather or father that I had to learn, and the images, attention span, and curiosity of Young-Ju as a toddler also keeps you focused.

Cleverly, Na alters the writing style and level as Young-Ju ages.

As a reader, you settle in to a rhythmic writing style at the same time you come to like and respect Young-Ju...and sour on her father.

Which brings up a very important consideration for this book--do you hand it to a student or do you just keep it on your shelf and if they self-select it, great...or do you keep it off your classroom shelf? I raise the point because one of the central themes in the novel is abuse. In addition to the father's (Apa) alcohol abuse, he beats the hell out of his wife and both children. Bruised, battered, and at one moment perhaps fighting one's life, Apa's wife and two kids stay together with him as a family.

We witness Apa lose control not only of his temper and hands, but also his jobs and family--he physically leaves his wife for another women...in front of the children.

Yet through it all, Young-Ju's mother (Uhmma) still stands by her husband. He is her husband and she is his wife--and that's it.

Just when I am ready not only to turn the page on Apa, and perhaps find him myself and shake sense into him, Uhmma shows her children pictures from better times. One picture is of a young man, smiling, laughing, and holding a baby down the incoming tide of the ocean. Uhmma points out that that is Young-Ju and her father...the strong memory that Young-Ju has of that moment has always contained her grandfather as the man holding joyously her in the waves--but she was wrong, it was her father.

Somehow, Na manages to soften the reader's perspective on Apa--somehow I pity him, somehow I want him to get help and be back with his family.

I don't know how Na did, but it was a beautiful and artful twist to the conclusion of the novel.

Highly recommended for any adult--I'll leave it up to you and the circumstances of your community to decide whether or not to keep this on your classroom bookshelf. Honestly, it is tastefully done--and the moments of spousal and child abuse are brief but sharp--but I do think it warrants a healthy discussion to determine how you would offer this as an option to your students, and at what age--definitely high school appropriate, and I am inclined to say it is 8th grade appropriate, but I do think it is right on that edge.(less)

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Jan 02, 2011 Cory rated it 3 of 5 stars

This could have been four stars. It had the potential to be a really great book. But unfortunately it just isn't there. If it were longer it could have the chance to flesh out something other than the abuse. Any book dealing with abuse seems to revolve around it.

This book is about a young Korean girl, Young Ju, who immigrates to America with her family. While the summary says that they have difficulty learning English, that is only brought to light a few times. Young Ju learns it easily, as doe...more This could have been four stars. It had the potential to be a really great book. But unfortunately it just isn't there. If it were longer it could have the chance to flesh out something other than the abuse. Any book dealing with abuse seems to revolve around it.

This book is about a young Korean girl, Young Ju, who immigrates to America with her family. While the summary says that they have difficulty learning English, that is only brought to light a few times. Young Ju learns it easily, as does her brother Joon Ho. I thought it would be a far bigger issue, but it only poses as a problem when Young Ju needs to get her green card renewed.

Their difficulty adjusting to American culture is briefly touched upon. Young Ju has hardly any problems in school. This is all brushed over to focus on the deterioration of her family. The problem is that I don't fully understand why the family is deteriorating because it is never elaborated on. I know that the father is a jerk, he can't speak English well and refuses to get help from his daughter who does. He refuses to accept American culture, he refuses to allow his children to fit in with American culture, he refuses to adjust to life in a new country and wants to keep the notions of Korea with him that just don't fit in with his new life.

Keeping your culture isn't bad, but refusing the culture of the country you live in is another thing entirely. The failure of this book to focus on anything but the problems of the father and the abuse that results from this makes it a three star book. We learn nothing about Young Ju's friend Amanda or the problems that he brother goes through. Her mother's job is barely touched upon, church is also rarely mentioned even thought they are supposed to be very religious.

I know that's a lot of things to deal with, but other books about immigrants have handled them fairly well. Although they are second generation immigrants in Kira-Kira, we see their difficulty adjusting to American life and we deal with a variety of issues -- and that is just a middle grade book.

The book jacket says that they have difficulty leaving behind their culture, they have trouble learning English, and that their insular life weighs them down. I barely see any of that. By choosing to make this revolve around abuse, rather than making it just one issue -- which would have made it a much better book -- we are subject to yet another novel with a one dimensional abusive father. Young Ju is at best two dimensional. Her mother is barely two dimensional, as well as her brother. And everyone else is just a cardboard cut-out. The writing style barely saved it. (less)

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Aug 23, 2010 Patrice Sartor rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, realistic-fiction, parent-child, racial-relations

GENRE: Fiction: Realistic fiction, problem solving.

SUBJECT/THEMES: Immigration, Korean-Americans, family monetary troubles, alcoholism, family difficulties, cultural differences.

SUMMARY: Young Ju was four years old when her parents decided to move to America (a place deemed “a step from heaven”) in the hopes of providing a better future for their daughter. Young Ju’s aunt, Gomo, already lives in America and has helped the family find a place to rent. The Park family moves in with the greatest ho...more GENRE: Fiction: Realistic fiction, problem solving.

SUBJECT/THEMES: Immigration, Korean-Americans, family monetary troubles, alcoholism, family difficulties, cultural differences.

SUMMARY: Young Ju was four years old when her parents decided to move to America (a place deemed “a step from heaven”) in the hopes of providing a better future for their daughter. Young Ju’s aunt, Gomo, already lives in America and has helped the family find a place to rent. The Park family moves in with the greatest hopes, including one day moving out of their rental place into their own home. Young Ju has little difficulty adjusting to American schools, though she does not want to have a lot of friends. She has one best friend, Amanda, whom she has known since she started school in the United States. Life changes a bit when her brother Joon is born, though nothing affects the family as greatly as Young Ju’s father’s drinking, unhappiness and physical abuse of her mother.

EVALUATION: Young Ju is a smart, independent character who is ashamed of her family’s poverty. She is afraid of her father, and sometimes jealous of her brother. I became attached to her early in the story, and it was fulfilling to watch her blossom into a young lady over the course of the book. Young Ju has a great deal of emotional stress to handle, and I did not doubt that she would triumph. I was pleasantly surprised by the book’s ending, though it felt a bit abrupt after all the family had undergone in the preceding chapters.

WHY I WOULD INCLUDE IT: One of my greatest joys of reading is discovering good writing, and my other greatest joy is becoming attached to well crafted characters. This book offers both, and more. Teen readers will get a glimpse into what life is like for some children of immigrants. Teenagers that are in this situation themselves may be glad to have a character they can relate to. In addition, this book has won thirty awards, thus far the largest number out of any of the other books in this database.

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Jan 26, 2010 Qian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Young Ju is four years old when she learns that her family is leaving Korea for Mi Gook (America) where people in Korea calls it a heaven Young Ju wants to leave for America, but she doesn’t want to leave her Grandmother behind, but she have no choice. Alone in America Young Ju have to deal with the life of immigrants and the difficulties when it comes to communication. No long after, her mother was pregnant with a baby boy and it is very obvious that her father favor the boy more over her. Anot...more

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Dec 04, 2009 Tara Smalley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-lit

I really liked this book. It's written using an unusual technique. As the narrator ages from age four to eighteen and improves her English, the vocabulary grows and sentence structure becomes more complex. The novel relates the story of Young Ju who moves from Korea to America at age four. Young Ju imagines that America will be wonderful - like heaven. However, her family struggles economically. They encounter problems due to the language barrier. Her father can only find work as a laborer. You...more

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Sep 07, 2009 Natalie Duenas rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book because it helped give readers a connection to the characters. If you cannot make a connection in that you are new to a country or society, then maybe you can connect to another major part- domestic hostility.Even if you can't, it will still toy with your emotions inorder to make you believe that you can make a connection or at least feel something for the characters. It also educated the audience in that it gave them an insight to asian culture and the difficulty of c...more

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Aug 31, 2009 Callie Voges rated it 4 of 5 stars

Callie Voges
Ms. Wheeler
H. English II
August 31, 2009
Book Review
A Step from Heaven
Na, An. A Step from Heaven. Asheville: Front Street, 2001. Print.
Life in America for someone who has moved there from another country can be very difficult at times. The book A Step from Heaven by An Na is about a young girl, Young Ju, and her family who moved to America from Korea, so that they could have a better education and life. This book shows us how her life was very complicated and the struggles her fami...more Callie Voges
Ms. Wheeler
H. English II
August 31, 2009
Book Review
A Step from Heaven
Na, An. A Step from Heaven. Asheville: Front Street, 2001. Print.
Life in America for someone who has moved there from another country can be very difficult at times. The book A Step from Heaven by An Na is about a young girl, Young Ju, and her family who moved to America from Korea, so that they could have a better education and life. This book shows us how her life was very complicated and the struggles her family went through. A Step from Heaven has received many awards but one of the best is the Michael Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature. The primary audience would be people interested in how life is for those who have immigrated to America or people who have immigrated to America from a different country that want to see what life is like for other immigrants. If one is interested in a book that tells about an immigrant’s life and likes to learn life lessons then the book A Step from Heaven would be a book that one would have interest in.
We always care about what people think of us and sometimes even lie about things just to make us look better. In this book Young Ju cares about ones perception of her. The speaker, Young Ju went to her best friend, Amanda’s, birthday party and afterwards Amanda’s parents were dropping Young Ju off at her house; she lied about where she lived because she was embarrassed and said that she lived in this house up on the hill near her actual house. Young Ju led them to her “house”,
“Just up that hill,” I say and point to a wide street lined with well-kept lawns and flowerbeds. There’s my house. I nod my head at a two-story gray stucco bungalow on the corner. The heavy wooden front doors gleam under the entrance light. (Na 108)
Young Ju had always wanted to live up on the hill where all the beautiful houses were instead of living in the bottom half of an apartment. She didn’t want anyone to know where she lived and that she was poor therefore when it was time to go home she told Amanda’s parents that she lived in this beautiful house on top of the hill instead of her bottom half of an apartment. When we tell people lies about our life and don’t tell them the truth just so people can think we are one person and not really ourselves it only puts stress on us.
In every country, in every city people struggle with the economy there are rich, middle class, and poor people everywhere. We always are wanting more and trying to live in the best places, but some people just are just thinking about how they are going to pay for the next meal. In this book in talks about all the struggles Young Ju’s family goes through just to survive and have a home and food. The speaker, Apa, Young Ju’s dad, is bringing the family to the new apartment they will be living in. They are finally able to live on there on in a somewhat decent place:
“Its not forever,” Apa says to Uhmma [Young Ju’s mom:]. They sit in the front of the car, looking out at the house. Old brown paint peeling off. Old brown grass flying away. Crisscross metal fence all around…Apa turns in his seat and says to me, “This will not really be our house. We will just borrow the bottom part from the man who lives upstairs”…Uhmma turns to Apa. “Could we not wait linger and save more money?” (35)
Here we are given a visual of the house they will be living in but the family isn’t very found of it except Apa, everyone else wants to save more and buy a better house. One who comes to America from another country will probably struggle even more finically then others who don’t have a well paying job because they had to give up everything to just come to America; they have to start all over again.
The speaker, Uncle Tim makes a comment back about what Young Ju’s dad told her, which was she couldn’t be the president because she was a girl. Uncle Tim states, “’Young Ju, he whispers into my hair, in America, women can do almost anything man can do’” (40-41). This quote shows that one comes to America so that women and men are treated equally. In most countries women don’t have hardly any freedoms and only do what their husbands tell them to do. This is one lesson the author could have been trying to show in her work because it shows that even though it is tough to move to a different country it is usually to live a better life and for one’s kids to grow up in a better environment. The author also wanted to show us how much people give up to have a better life for their kids even if it means moving to another country, one that you have never been to or don’t know how to speak the language. The author did a great job showing this to us she told us about many situations that were going on and how no matter where one is from we all act the same and are equal.
The author, An Na, did a great job of showing the purpose of the book and letting us learn life lessons from it. She showed how every family has their struggles and they overcome them even if it means one losses something or a person. We also learn how it is for someone to live in America when they moved from another country; you have to make a living all over again, learn a new language, and learn to figure out how life works in America. This book would be the most appreciated by teenage girls because the book is mostly about a girl’s life growing up in America after moving there from Korea when she was little. When someone believes in what they are writing and have experienced it the book comes to life more and it seems more realistic. An Na has a great way of showing different aspects of Young Ju’s life that would help us understand her lifestyle even more.
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