An Na,
A Step from Heaven.
Allen & Unwin, 2002.
ISBN: 1 86508 793 9

Young Ju and her parents move from their home in Korea to start a new and better life in 'Mi Good' (America). Young Ju believes they are travelling to heaven, so is bewildered when they arrive in America where everything is different--the language, food, clothes, even the colour of people's hair. This beautifully written tale follows Young Ju from the age of four through to her teenage years. An Na eloquently describes the anger Young Ju feels towards her younger brother, as he is highly revered by her father because he is a boy, the fear of the whole family when her violent father is drunk and abusive, and the family's struggle to survive on their limited income. This is a heartbreaking, powerful and moving debut novel, exploring one girl's confusion and frustration as she struggles to grow up in two very different cultures.

RA 12+/IL 12-16
Reviewed by Sarah Harrington
Winter 2002