A Step From Heaven Review

The second book in our contemporary realistic fiction genre was one that we could choose from a list. I read A Step From Heaven by An Na. It's about a young girl who immigrates from Korea and her transition to living in America.

Copy checked out from my local library

This book was not my favorite. I opened it, and saw the first few pages were divided into their own chapters, and thought "I instantly regret my decision in choosing this book". I understand the literary significance of how An Na was trying to write as a young child would think, but I didn't enjoy the structure at all. I was entirely lost for the first section of the book because of both the structure and the words I didn't know. I would think that an adolescent who was reading it who didn't have that heritage would feel the same. If I didn't have to read this book, that would have made me put it down instantly.

I also couldn't connect to the family situation, because I’m lucky enough to have really great parents. Granted, I may not have thought that during my teen years, but looking back now I realize that it’s true. My family situation was nothing like Young Ju’s. Mentally, I understand that this is often how Korean families are set up, with a dominant (while not necessarily abusive) father and a submissive mother. However, even knowing that it was hard for me to relate to how her family functioned.

I do remember being fairly young, around 8 or 9, and having my family move and having no idea what moving meant. But she moved when she was so young that I can’t really believe she would remember it. I barely remember anything prior to my late childhood years. Just a few random memories and very little emotions. I definitely wouldn't have remembered going to a hair salon to get my hair curled, even if I had hated it. At the age of 4, I don’t even think I knew what pretty or ugly hair was.

I thought that the most relatable part for me was her father forbidding her from seeing a friend, because most young people have at least one friend that their parents don't particularly like. That kind of parental imposition resonates across multiple cultures, no matter what the reasoning behind it is. I think it’s important that these types of books exist for the culture that they represent. 

I left the book not hating it, but it definitely wouldn't be one that I would read again, or recommend to someone not from the Korean culture or background. It's also very female oriented and wouldn't be something I would recommend for many males to read. It was just too hard for me to relate to the story and share feelings with the characters, not having any knowledge base to draw upon about the culture.