A Step from Heaven

By An Na

A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021)

From master storyteller An Na comes the Printz Award–winning novel about a Korean girl who tells her firsthand account of trying to find her place and identity in America from the day she leaves Korea as a child to her rocky journey through the teenage years.

At age four, Young Ju moves with her parents from Korea to Southern California. She has always imagined America would be like heaven: easy, blissful, and full of riches. But when her family arrives, she finds it to be the opposite. With a stubborn language barrier and cultural dissimilarities, not only is it impossible to make friends, but even her family’s internal bonds are wavering. Her parents’ finances are strained, yet her father’s stomach is full of booze.

As Young Ju’s once solid and reliable family starts tearing apart, her younger brother begins to gain more freedom and respect simply because of his gender. Young Ju begins to lose all hope in the dream she once held—the heaven she longs for. Even as she begins to finally fit in, a cataclysmic family event will change her idea of heaven forever. But it also helps her to recognize the strength she holds, and envision the future she desires, and deserves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Release date: Jul 26, 2016
• ISBN: 9781481442374

An Na

An Na's first novel, A Step From Heaven, won the Michael L. Printz Award and was a National Book Award finalist. She is also the author of The Fold and Wait For Me, which was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults.

Book preview

A Foreword to A Step from Heaven

The first time I read A Step from Heaven, it was not yet a novel. This book began for me as pages of a manuscript, submitted by a young writer who—to the great fortune of the university where I taught—had just entered into its MFA program. When I read those first pages, I said to my faculty, I get to work with this one. The writer was An Na. Hers was a voice I had not come across in children’s literature—thoughtful and gentle, thought-provoking and original. Spare and kind.

As A Step from Heaven took shape, again and again I was reminded that in the character of Young Ju, An Na was creating a girl who readers would long remember. Na’s writing style in this novel—a series of taut, eloquent vignettes—broke ground for young writers who did not yet even know their alphabet but who one day would grow up to read, copy, and aspire toward.

A Step from Heaven is a story about family—a family who loves deeply through troubling times. A family who fractures and puts itself back together. A family who is led by the voice of Young Ju, who like so many of us, both young and old, just wants the world to be all right.

I was not surprised when this novel went on to win just about every award a novel could win. Proud, yes. Surprised—not at all. An Na’s moving story is as timeless and relevant as it is lovely. Rereading A Step from Heaven all these years later reminded me of what I first fell in love with about this book: In Young Ju and her family, I see my own family, and the struggle it takes to leave one beloved world for another. But more than that, in A Step from Heaven, I see a story that resonates across time and remains as affecting and lively as it was the first time I held its beginnings in my hands.

Jacqueline Woodson

Sea Bubble

Just to the edge, Young Ju. Only your feet. Stay there.

Cold. Cold water. Oh. My toes are fish. Come here. Fast. Look.

What is it, Young Ju?

See my toes. See how they are swimming in the sea? Like fish.

Yes, they are little fat piggy fish.

Ahhh! Tickles.

Come on. Up. Keep your legs around me. Are you ready to go swim in the waves?

Hold me. Hold me.

I have you. Look over there, Young Ju. See how the waves dance. See? Hold on tight. We are going over there.

No. Stop. Deep water. Go back.

Shhh, Young Ju. Do not be afraid. You must learn how to be brave. See, I have you.

No. No. Go back.

Young Ju, can you be brave? Look, that is only a small wave. Do not worry. I will hold you tight the whole time. Can you try to be a brave girl for me?

I will try.

Good girl. Ready for the wave? Here it comes. Get ready. Up. And down. There, do you still want to go back?

Again. Do it again. Another one.

That is my courageous girl. Hold on to my neck, Young Ju. Here we go. Up. And down.

I am a sea bubble floating, floating in a dream. Bhop.

All This Weight

Apa is not happy.

Uhmma is not happy.

Halmoni, who is old and has a sleepy blanket face, says that a long time ago Apa was young like me and she could boss him around. But not anymore.

Now, Halmoni can only shake her head when Apa comes home late stinking like the insides of the bottles that get left on the street. Her lips pinch tight, then she hides with Uhmma and me. Because when Apa is too quiet with the squinty eye, it is better to hide until he falls asleep or else there will be breaking everywhere. Halmoni always says, That Apa of yours needs a good spanking. If only your Harabugi had not passed away.

But sometimes when Uhmma is tired of playing sleep, she stops hiding. I pull on her arm. Try to make her get back under the covers. Uhmma shakes away my hand. She slides back the rice paper doors. Her voice deep as night asks, Where were you?

I hide under the covers because the breaking is too loud, too strong. It can come inside my head even though my fingers are in my ears. It sits in my chest, hitting, hitting my heart until my eyes bleed water from the sea. Halmoni rocks me in her lap. Talks to Harabugi’s picture. She tells him, Do you see what is happening? How could you leave me with all this weight?

Only God Can

Pray, Halmoni says. Pray to God and everything will be better. Put your hands together tight like a closed book. Good. Then say what I taught you, Young Ju. Remember? Dear Father who art in heaven.

Halmoni, where is heaven?

Heaven is where your Harabugi is. He is with God in a place where there is only goodness and love.

Can I go there?

Someday. If you pray and love God. Do you love God?

Yes, I say, even though at church the picture of his face with the dark round money eyes makes me hide behind the bench. But I want to see heaven and Harabugi, so I try to love him.

Is heaven around here? Can we go there tomorrow? I ask.

No, no. Heaven is in the sky and far away. Now pray while I read the Good Book.

I close my eyes and put my hands together tight. I move my lips the way I see Halmoni do, but without the sounds. God must have very strong ears to hear the words.

Dear Father in heaven.

This is all I remember, so I open my eyes. Halmoni is rocking and reading her Good Book with all the stories about how God came down to be with us. Only when he got here, he said his name was Jesus. I wonder, why did he make up a new name? I wish I could make up a new name, but Halmoni says, Do not be foolish.

I look at Harabugi’s picture on the table with the candles all around. He has sleepy eyes like cats in the sun. They are nice eyes. My Harabugi. Apa has the same eyes. Also the same black hair sticking up straight in the front and flat in the back. I close my eyes and put my hands together tight.

Harabugi, I say with my lips moving but without the sound, if you are in heaven with God maybe you can hear me too. Halmoni says Apa needs a good spanking and there is nobody here to give him one. Could you send God down so he can be Jesus again and give Apa his spanking? Then Apa will be nice all the time. Like when he brought home Mi Shi and Uhmma said, We cannot keep that dog. And Apa said, But she is only a baby doggy. Then he made the baby-doggy face. And Uhmma laughed and pushed Apa on the shoulder. She said, That dog looks just like you. No wonder it followed you home. Then Mi Shi got to stay and be my friend. I like it when Apa is nice and Uhmma makes her squeaky-shoes laugh. Amen.

When I open my eyes Halmoni is looking at me sneaky peek.

That was a long prayer, she says and turns a page. What did you pray about?

That God would come down and give Apa a spanking, I tell her.

Halmoni holds her Good Book tight with both hands. She whispers, He is the only one who can.

Mi Gook

Mi Gook. This is a magic word. It can make Uhmma and Apa stop fighting like some important person is knocking on the door. Dirty brown boxes all tied up, with big black letters in the middle and little pictures all in the corner. They come from Mi Gook. Uhmma says they are from my Gomo. She is older than Apa. His big Uhn-nee. Inside the boxes there are funny toys for me. Like the one that plays tinkle-tinkle music and the scary man with rainbow paint on his face and hair jumping out.

Apa says that in Mi Gook everyone can make lots of money even if they did not go to an important school in the city. Uhmma says all the uhmmas in Mi Gook are pretty like dolls. And they live in big houses. Much bigger than the rich fish factory man’s house in the village. Even Ju Mi, my friend who is one year older and likes to boss me around, says she would like to go to Mi Gook.

Then one day Apa gets a letter that makes him hug Uhmma so tight her eyes cry. Now every time Apa says Mi Gook, he smiles so big I think maybe he is a doggy like Mi Shi. When we are eating our dinner, Apa and Uhmma can only say Mi Gook all the time. No more mean eyes over the rice bowl, and my stomach keeps the rice inside like a good stomach is supposed to do. I hope they will talk about Mi Gook forever and ever.

Mi Gook is the best word. Even better than sea or candy. But then when I go to Ju Mi’s house to play with my new ball from Gomo, Ju Mi pushes me away.

She says, You are moving to Mi Gook and I feel so sorry for you because you have to leave everything behind.

I bounce my ball and think Ju Mi is talking, talking like she always does. Ju Mi takes the ball away and yells, Did you hear me? You are moving.

What? I yell at her and try to get my ball back.

Stupid. You are moving to Mi Gook.

No, I am not, I say, even though I do not know what moving means.

Stupid baby, she says. You do not even know you are moving away. Your uhmma told my uhmma today. I am happy you are moving so I do not have to play with a baby all the time.

I do not understand why Ju Mi says she is happy when her smile is sticking on her face upside down. I run away to find Uhmma.

Uhmma is outside in the yard squeezing laundry. I pull on her arm and say, Uhmma, Ju Mi says we are moving to Mi Gook.

Sit down, Uhmma says and sits back on her feet, butt close to the ground, knees sticking up to the sky.

I sit back on my legs next to her.

Young Ju, Uhmma says, you know we will be moving to Mi Gook soon.

No, I say. What is moving?

Your Apa and I have been talking about Mi Gook at dinner for days now.

Yes, Uhmma. But you never told me about moving. Does it mean we are going to see Gomo like when we went to see your uhmma and apa?

No. Moving is not like when we went to visit your Eh-Halmoni and Eh-Harabugi. Moving means we will live in Mi Gook forever.

Forever?

Yes.

Where is Mi Gook? Can I still come back to see Ju Mi?

Uhmma pets my hair. No, Young Ju. Mi Gook is far across the sea. We will have to take an airplane that flies in the sky to get there. I do not think you will be able to see Ju Mi for a long time. Uhmma stands up slowly. Aigoo, she says as she always does when her legs hurt from sitting too long.

I keep sitting. I am thinking if I do not see Ju Mi every day then she will find a new friend. Someone

Reviews for A Step from Heaven

[ktextor_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is one of great strength and hardship. Young Ju is a girl who moves from Korea to the U.S. with her family. As she tries to learn how to become a young girl in America her father wants nothing but her to stay the way a good Korean girl should act and behave. Her mother works two jobs while the father looses his and begins drinking. Young Ju's brother begins disappearing throughout the night and no longer thinks school is important. Soon Young Ju's mother is being beat by her father and Young Ju has the chance to save her mother from what may be death. A very touching story and one that should be looked at to a girl who stands up for what is just.

[cassiusclay_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

personal response: This is a very powerful story and I appreciate the no-holds barred truth that the story contains, but I didn't have an easy time reading some of the elements, such as the domestic abuse. I do appreciate the honesty and truth of it. This story crosses many cultural lines and is not simply limited to a Korean immigrant family. It is a great example of the qualities that natives of any country take for granted, and is especially relevant as a critique of the 'open-arms' of the US.grades 8 - 12curricular connections:Class reading and discussion

[bluemopitz_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. Seeing immigration to America through the eyes of a little girl was very interesting. I especially liked the way she sounded out new words in English, "he says to call him Uhing Kel Thim," which we later see her understand as Uncle Tim. The tales of domestic abuse and gender stereotyping are saddening and it made me very happy when the mother found the strength to get away from the father. This could be used curricularly when teaching about immigration, the struggles of finding one's place in a new culture, or about domestic abuse and gender roles.

[euronerdlibrarian · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Didn't especially like the style of writing. Felt like the kind of book you get assigned in school.

[mrsdayclass · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great, fun, suspenseful, short read.

[jasminew_915194 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A Step from Heaven is a printz award winning book by An Na. Young Ju describes her life and experiences of moving to America. America is known as heaven to her. She speaks about the barriers with trying to learn english all the way until she grows up and goes to college. Will she learn English? Was moving to America a good thing? Did it help her get "closer to heaven?" You must read to see how it goes. The first idea I had to do with this book is for my students to research Korea. The students should find out about their culture, foods, clothing, language, music, etc. to compare with America. As a class, we will bring all our information together on a venn diagram. The venn diagram will be Korea's similarities and differences from America. We will discuss and come to the conclusion of how Young Ju had to adapt to "our" differences. The next idea will be for the students to write a persuasive paper 1-2 pages convincing Koreans to move to America. The student must include some of the information from our venn diagram. The students' should begin their paper with opening sentences of why America is a good place to move to. Next, include reason numbers 1-3 with 3 supporting details with each reason. Finally, conclude why America is a great place to move to. We will partner share our persuasive papers. At first being a book about a Korean girl really didn't interest me; however, she was speaking about her experience of moving to America, so I decided to read it. I thought the book was okay. I rate it 3 stars. I really didn't get into it until the very end. The girl's dad was an alcoholic, and he got very abusive towards the end. My mouth sort of dropped to what was happening. I was glad to know that Young Ju was soon going to college, and she had a scholarship, so she didn't have to worry about paying. Hopefully, her move to America was really "A Step Closer to Heaven." And, I think it was since she was able to get a good education here and go to college. I believe the book is good to share with middle school students, so they can understand emigration and how that process is for some students.

[rennifred · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is one of the most beautiful and poignant books I have read in any category. Although it is a young adult novel, anyone who loves to read would enjoy this book.The format for the novel is unusual. Each chapter is told from the viewpoint of the main character, from her earliest memory through her last day at home before leaving for college. Each chapter is like a short story, very tight and spare. Although there is no traditional narrative story, there are strong themes running through the book to give it forward momentum and a satisfying ending.

[shifrack00 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Felt like I was reading underwater. Fresh take on an immigrants' point of view, coming to America. Each chapter seemed like it's own story, and the action did not rise as much as float to a conclusion, that was not completely satisfying.

[ithilwyn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved reading this book. An Na deals beautifully with the culture clash that develops within families of Asian immigrants.

[bethknee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is great. It's very honest and does a good job portraying the life of 2nd gen Korean kids.

[ewyatt_16 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The book is written in a series of episodes in Young Ju's life as her family moves to America and tries to adjust to their new life. There are a lot of issues addressed in the book about the role of girls and boys in the culture, dealing with physical abuse, and what it is like to be an immigrant in America.

[fameulstee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A young Korean girl, Young Ju, emigrates with her partens to the United States in search for a better life. Her parents struggle to make enough money to survive and Young Ju has to adept to the american way of life, while at home she has to speak Korean. She feels trapped between two cultures. Her father gets abusive and starts drinking because of his unablility to adapt in a strange culture.A beautiful written story about immigrants struggling to become accepted in a new country. All seen through Young Ju's eyes, written in short chapters in wich is told about a day or part of a day of her life.

[emithomp · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

At only 4, Young Ju immigrates to the US with her parents. Sad, hopeful, inspiring are all good ways to describe this book. It clearly shows how much work goes into moving to a new country and all the struggles that are part of that process. It is beautifully and meticulously written. The transliteration of what Young Ju hears before she learns English is especially interesting. The author keeps to Young Ju's point of view even when things start to go wrong, and it is very moving to hear the thoughts of a small child who does not fully understand what her parents are dealing with. It is even more striking as the character gets older and realization dawns.This lovely book is a good choice for any high school or public library, and would be very useful in a social studies unit on immigration.

[joririchardson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a very insightful portrayal of immigration to America through the innocent view of a child. It is based on the author's personal experience, which makes it very realistic. It's a short, easy to get through read. I found it interesting how the young girl found certain ordinary things, such as Coca Cola, very odd and magical.However, beyond an outsider's view on American culture, this book didn't actually have much of a plot or great characters. It's good, but not great.

[librarymediaman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In this very intense story, the protagonist's abusive father gets worse and worse and begins to regularly beat her mother. The situation explodes when he finally turns his hand against his own daughter. But a poignant ending reminds the reader that even the abuser is a person with potential and value and the capacity to love.

[shouldireadit · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When Young Ju is 4 yrs. old, her family left Korea to settle in the U.S. As years pass, and Young Ju grows into a teenager, she struggles to keep her Korean life separate from her American life while her younger brother, born in the U.S., doesn't feel any allegiances at all to the Korean part of his life. Along with struggling with the language, customs, and fitting in, Young Ju's abusive father creates walls of pressure for the family. Sometimes Young Ju wishes she could float away towards the real heaven she thought America would be for her, instead of this new life which is supposed to be just a step away from it.

[mslangdon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Part D MulticulturalNa, A. (2001). A step from heaven. Asheville, NC: Front Street.Young Ju and her family move from Korea to America when she is only four years old. Their family struggles with the adjustment of living in a new country and of speaking a new language. Her father and mother work multiple, low-paying, labor-intensive jobs that keep them really busy. Young Ju, as well as her brother, are expected to do well in school and learn, because that is their future. Throughout the novel, we see Young Ju begin to assimilate and adjust to the new culture as she grows. In addition to her acculturation, she must deal with the problems that come with an abusive, alcoholic father.The story has a slow beginning, but as the main character ages, there is a stronger pull to see what will happen next in her life. The language changes and becomes more clear as Young Ju learns English. The first few chapters have short, choppy sentences with many words in Korean and the later chapters have sentences that are more complex and clear with less words in Korean. This gives the reader a sense of connection and understanding to Young Ju’s feelings as she adjusts to her new culture. An Na makes it easy to sympathize with the struggles of immigrants as they begin a new life in a new country, as well as being easy to sympathize with the struggles of living with an abusive father. Ages 9-12.

[dahabdabbler · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved the language used in this book, especially how it matures as Young Ju matures. One of the first quotes to really strike me was:"It sits in my chest, hitting, hitting my heart until my eyes bleed water from the sea." And this quote was just a great illustration of the language used by immigrants who may not have a common language: "…language of mixed and chopped Korean and Japanese, glued together with pieces of English." I also enjoyed the author's exploration of gender roles and how Young Ju questions, to herself, why she is responsible for so much while her younger brother plays. The differential treatment is only one aspect of her Korean culture that she learns to accept. This book is a powerful story that many people, not just Korean immigrants, may unfortunately be able to relate to. The issue of abuse is a depressing topic for a book, but the reality is that some students will find solace in knowing that they are not the only ones who this may happen to. Young Ju's and her mother's determination to make something of themselves, however, is a positive model for all students in tough situations. The value of education and church are important in many cultures, not just Korean, and by reading this many children will realize the similarities between cultures. This haunting book is intended for a more mature audience than I will probably work with, but I enjoyed reading this first novel by An Na; she is an author to watch for!

[mathqueen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A Step From Heaven recounts the story of Ju and her family as they immigrate to Mi Gook in hopes of a better life. The family struggles financially and personally as they attempt to go through the acculturation process in America. Immigration is one of the most significant changes a human can experience, and is even more traumatic for adults. Erik Erikson’s human development theory divides a person’s life into stages, each one building on the previous stage. This theory spans from infancy throughout adulthood and to death. When an adult immigrates, the feeling of up-rootedness and loss of identity is sometimes overwhelming. This feeling of loss has been found to be greater for men than women. (Kim, Gaa, Swank, and Liberman, 1998). I felt this struggle was portrayed very accurately through the actions of Apa. The scene in the Immigration office really contrasts Ju’s acculturation with that of her father. It could be argued that Ju holds a power over her father in that instance and he can feel it as he relies on her for information. The other scene where this feeling of dissimilation occurs is when he tells Ju she is too American. At that point, it is more than evident that Apa is not regaining a sense of security or identity in America. Library Implications: At its most general level, this is a book about immigration. There are several underlying themes related to family that almost every reader could identify with: financial struggles, employment concerns, verbal and physical abuse, and parental abandonment. You could also discuss the struggle adolescents go through to make new friends but hide their short-comings. At the end of the story, it is discovered that Ju’s mother comes from a wealthy family. It becomes apparent that Apa felt very insecure about his ability to provide adequately for his wife. Older students could also examine the role social status plays in the interactions of people. References:Kim, Saekyung; Gaa, John; Swank, Paul; Liberman, Dov. (1998). Identity Transformation of Korean Immigrants. Texas: University of Huston.

[ashleighevans · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a book about a girl named Young Ju who moves from Korea to America, away from Halmoni, her grandmother, when she is four years old. She struggles at school with the language barrier and it doesn’t help that her parents insist she speaks Korean at home and disapprove of her friendship with Amanda, an American girl. Her father is an abusive man who often beats his children and his wife. Joon, Young Ju’s brother, gets more freedom than she does and is offered more choices, which Young Ju finds extremely unfair. When Apa, Young Ju’s father, severely beats his wife, Young Ju decides to call the police to save her mother’s life. Apa is jailed and leaves with another woman the next day never to be seen again. At first Young Ju’s mother is angry at her for turning Apa away from them, but eventually she realizes their family is better without him. When Young Ju goes to college several years later, her family is off to a much better start in America. Because this book deals with the immigration of a Korean family, it would be a good idea to study Korea and their language since it is heavily infused into the book. The terms of family members would need to be researched in order to avoid confusion. Immigration is another topic that could be discussed. Students could research what immigration is like for families in modern times and how that has changed from long ago and what struggles families face. The topic of abuse could also be discussed and what can be learned from Young Ju’s bravery. The culture of Korea would be another thing to research. Because Young Ju is a girl, she would have been denied many privileges in Korea but in America she had more choices. To integrate social studies, students could compare women’s rights of the two countries. While reading this book, I was reminded of two books; Ellen Foster and Chinese Cinderella. Ellen Foster is abused by her father who is also an alcoholic and behaves similarly to Apa. He is either beating his family or leaving the house for days at a time. I was reminded of Chinese Cinderella because although Adeline was not beaten by her father she was abused in the sense that she was neglected which is sometimes as bad as physical abuse. Adeline was also very attached to her grandparents just like Young Ju was. Although it was confusing to figure out who the characters were at first since they are all called by their Korean names, I liked this story. It was so sad and evoked strong emotions, but it ended happily and the family was able to start fresh without anyone to weigh them down. It was absolutely believable and I know that some adolescents could find hope in this story and relate to the characters. I would recommend this book to middle grade students.

[shelf3employed · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In this contemporary realistic fiction tale, Young Ju emigrates with her parents from Korea to the United States in search of a better life. Young Ju struggles to adapt to her new country, starting school and learning a new language. Her life is further complicated by the arrival of a new brother, poverty, and an abusive alcoholic father. The story follows Young Ju from a very young girl to adulthood.Review:An Na’s A Step From Heaven is a Young Adult title that will appeal to teens on many levels. The book is the 2002 Michael J. Printz Award winner for Young Adult Literature, and a finalist for the National Book Award. Fictional Young Ju tells the story of her early childhood in Korea, her emigration to the United States (Mi Gook), and her gradual acculturation to her new country. Much of the story takes place during her teen years, making it appealing to those readers. The setting is the California coast.The novel succeeds on several levels. It is at once multicultural, contemporary, and controversial. Young Ju is a Korean immigrant. None of her family speaks English upon arrival in the US. Although Young Ju, and her brother Joon (born after their immigration) grow up to speak English and learn American customs, her parents, Uhmma and Apa remain closer to their Korean upbringing. Young Ju is torn between the two worlds. When an American friend lends her a small amount of money, her Uhmma is appalled. Young Ju explains that in America “it is fine to borrow money from friends.” “Stop that, Uhmma says. We are Korean. Do not forget.” Korean words and the broken English of her parents and relatives are common throughout the book, adding to its authenticity.A Step from Heaven also reflects contemporary issues for teens. Young Ju is at times powerless, at times rebellious, like most teens. She cannot escape the poverty and violence of her home, yet she manages to rebel in small ways. In second grade, when she is jealous of the attention that her new brother receives, she crosses her fingers behind her back and tells her teacher, “My brother. He die.” She enjoys the flowers, gifts and attention she receives. When her mother asks why they have received flowers and a card expressing sympathy for “their loss,” Young Ju explains that she lost the spelling bee. Later, as a teen, Young Ju spends forbidden time with her American friend, Amanda. She lies and tells her Apa that she is at the library. She is embarrassed by her family’s poor neighborhood and smoke-spewing station wagon.The story is also controversial. Young Ju’s father, Apa, is an abusive alcoholic. Young Ju watches helplessly as her father sinks lower and lower into his vices, beating Uhmma,hitting, Young Ju, losing jobs, and staying out all night. An Na, however, ensures that Apa’s strengths are shown as well as his weaknesses. He plays "monster" with Young Ju and Joon. He mourns the death of his mother. Young Ju recalls Apa teaching her to jump in the waves. The reader is allowed to draw his own conclusion about Apa.A Step From Heaven tells a story of hope and perseverance without being preachy. Her mother, Uhmma, is Young Ju's long-suffering supporter and ally, but in the story's climax, it is Young Ju who comes to her mother's aid. In the end, hopeful change occurs not only for Young Ju, but for her mother and brother as well. They rise above their circumstances and suceed in their new homeland, California, "a step from heaven."One annoying feature of the novel is the peculiar punctuation. The story is told as Young Ju’s recollections, however, the use of quotation marks seems to be irregular. Sometimes direct quotes are within quotation marks, and sometimes they are not..Overall, A Step From Heaven is a powerful story about family life, coming of age, and one’s inner power to overcome adversity. A great read for young adults.