Module 7- SLIS 5420

A Step From Heaven
By An Na

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

Summary

Young Ju is just a young girl when she finds out that her family is moving across the ocean from Korea to America. Young has little knowledge of “Mi Gook”, but believes that it will be heaven for her and her family. After arriving in America, the harsh reality of life sets in for her, as her parents struggle to make ends meet, living in a run-down rent house and eating little else but rice every day. She also must deal with learning to speak English and how her new world and new American friends affect her, and more importantly, her parents. As her father slips into a world of drunken abusiveness, Young must make some very adult decisions about her life, as well as her family.

Impressions

I connected with this book on a very personal level, and I’m so glad I took the time to read it. My husband and his family came to the states from Taiwan when he was just 8 years old, and had many of the same struggles that Young Ju faced, with having to learn English, learn the customs of America, and trying to make friends and fit in among the other kids. He, too, had parents that worked all the time, although their financial situation was somewhat better than Young’s. But he had to deal with the same feelings of sadness when they were not there to watch his sporting events, awards ceremonies, etc. because of work. I really feel like this book offered me a much more in-depth look at what life was like for him as he grew up. I think this is an excellent realistic fiction book that does not sugar coat what life experiences can be like for others.

Reviews

In brief chapters that have the intimacy of snapshots, Young Ju tells of her family's immigration from Korea to the United States and their subsequent struggles in a new country. From childhood through adolescence, Young Ju's voice is convincingly articulated, whether as a four-year-old certain that the plane carrying her into the sky must be heaven-bound or as a desperate teenager gathering the courage to report her abusive father. Throughout the novel, images of reaching and dreaming poignantly convey the young narrator's desire to survive her father's brutality and its devastating effect on her family.

Brabander, J. M. (2001). A Step from Heaven (Book Review). Horn Book Magazine, 77(4), 458.

Na has effectively evoked the horror and small joys of the girl's home life while creating sympathetic portraits of all of the members of the family. A beautifully written, affecting work.

Marton, D. S. (2001). A Step from Heaven (Book Review). School Library Journal, 47(5), 156.

Suggestions for Use

Prior to reading, explain to students the premise of the story and the background of Young Ju. Have students think about what it might be like if they had to move to another country now and what challenges they think they would face. Discuss those challenges and possible ways to cope and adapt to a new language, customs, friends, and life in general. After reading, allow students to write about things that Young Ju faced as she grew up and how they felt, being American, when reading the story. (ex: Do you have any friends that are from another country? Have you befriended someone who was different than you? Can you imagine being in that situation, and how you would feel?)