The Plot
Young Ju's family immigrates to the US from Korean when she's young in the hopes of escaping to a better life. However, moving to the states only exacerbates a lot of the problems. As she grows up, Young Ju faces a lot of the challenges that confront immigrant children, such as their parents' confusing expectation that they be successful in their new country while not losing their culture of origin or having to liaise and translate in an English-speaking adult world and then submit to their elders, even if the older family member doesn't fully understand the situation. In the end, Young Ju and her family not only survive, but thrive in their new environment.
The Review
The writing is beautiful with short chapters that read more like poems than prose. The story itself is a little bleak. There isn't enough to humor to lighten the horror of Young Ju's abusive drunken father or the pain of knowing that, as a girl, she will never be enough for him.
Given that the main bulk of the story is so dreary, the ending seems unrealistically happy-ever-after. Young Ju's brother's drug problem and behavior issues as well as the family's seemingly unsurmountable status as working poor magically vanish at the end.
Because of the violence and substance abuse issues, I'd be hesitant to recommend this one to younger teens and tweens.
The Details
- Age Range: 12 - 16 years
- Grade Level: 7 - 11
- Paperback: 160 pages
- Publisher: Speak (January 13, 2003)
- ISBN-10: 0142500275
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