A Step From Heaven

February 4, 2002
Oh's appropriately girlish voice and measured reading bring to life Young Ju, quiet heroine of debut novelist Na's dark tale of a family of Korean immigrants, which just won the ALA's Printz Award for teenage literature. At age four, Young Ju is not happy to be leaving her Korean home and loving Halmoni (grandmother) to move with her parents to Mi Gook (America), believed to be the land of great promise. Through Young Ju's experiences, listeners hear the family unravel as difficulties mount for them in the States. Young Ju's parents struggle with several low-paying jobs, handicapped by their language barrier. Young Ju's alcoholic and bitter father abuses his wife and children and forbids Young Ju to socialize with American friends. And when her father crosses a frightening line in his cruelty, Young Ju bravely takes action that sets her mother, younger brother and herself on the path to yet another new life in America. Oh's characterization, which realistically captures this powerful contemporary story and gives authentic crispness to Korean words and phrases, will keep listeners in its grip. Ages 12-up.

In poetic prose, the Korean-born protagonist of this novel recreates scenes of her childhood as an immigrant as she tries to adjust to American ways and remain a good Korean daughter despite her father's alcoholism and abuse. Jina Oh reads with a simplicity that underscores the emotional turmoil and pain of this story, which movingly captures the shame of being poor and different, the terrible powerlessness of youth, and the confusion of living in two cultures. Oh's voice is convincing once the protagonist has reached 10 or 11 years of age. She fails to convey the voice of the 4-year-old, which makes the early chapters somewhat confusing. Overall, Na's writing and Oh's narration sensitively capture the emotional life of a girl growing into maturity and coming to terms with her past. E.S. 2003 YALSA Selection (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine