A Step From Heaven
Encyclopedia
A Step From Heaven is the first novel by An Na
, published in 2001 by Front Street Press
. It won the 2002 Michael L. Printz Award
from the American Library Association
.
to Southern California
. While expecting an easy, blissful life in America, Young Ju sees the stress that the cultural adjustment puts on her family. She struggles with the language barrier at her new school, and her parents' relationship becomes inceasingly strained due to financial issues. Young Ju's brother, Joon, is born, and is given more freedom and choices due to his gender. Their father has a Jekyll and Hyde personality; sometimes a playful, loving parent, and all too often a violent alcoholic, eventually getting arrested for DUI
and losing his drivers licence. As Young Ju matures and begins to enjoy friends and school, her parents fight constantly and Joon withdraws. When her father's brutality reaches a new peak (he nearly beats his wife to death), Young Ju steps in and calls the police to arrest him. When he is released from jail, he leaves the family without a word. Some time later, Young Ju is preparing to leave for college, and knows her mother and brother are finally starting a better life.
An Na
An Na is an American author of children's literature. Like most authors, she was a fervent reader as a child. She eventually became a middle school English and History teacher. She turned to writing novels after taking a young adult literature class while enrolled in a M.F.A. program at Vermont...
, published in 2001 by Front Street Press
Casemate Publishers
Casemate Publishers, also known as Casemate, is a Philadelphia-based publishing company that specializes in producing printed military history books. They have published over 100 books on military history. Many of their books are memoirs and historical overviews of specific military events...
. It won the 2002 Michael L. Printz Award
Michael L. Printz Award
The Michael L. Printz Award is an annual award in the United States for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. It is named for a school librarian from Topeka, Kansas, who was a long-time active member of the Young Adult Library Services Association...
from the American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
.
Summary
At age four, Young Ju moves with her parents from KoreaKorea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
to Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. While expecting an easy, blissful life in America, Young Ju sees the stress that the cultural adjustment puts on her family. She struggles with the language barrier at her new school, and her parents' relationship becomes inceasingly strained due to financial issues. Young Ju's brother, Joon, is born, and is given more freedom and choices due to his gender. Their father has a Jekyll and Hyde personality; sometimes a playful, loving parent, and all too often a violent alcoholic, eventually getting arrested for DUI
DUI
DUI is a three letter acronym that may stand for:* Driving under the influence * Democratic Union for Integration — the largest ethnic Albanian party in the Republic of Macedonia* Data Use Identifier...
and losing his drivers licence. As Young Ju matures and begins to enjoy friends and school, her parents fight constantly and Joon withdraws. When her father's brutality reaches a new peak (he nearly beats his wife to death), Young Ju steps in and calls the police to arrest him. When he is released from jail, he leaves the family without a word. Some time later, Young Ju is preparing to leave for college, and knows her mother and brother are finally starting a better life.