This novel for older children and teens tells the
story of a girl who moves to the US from Korea. Young Ju is four when she arrives in California with her brother and
parents, and the story leads us through the years until she is a teenager. We see how she matures and comes to take on
an American identity, while dealing with some serious family problems along the
way.

Young Ju?s father works as a
gardener, and her mother takes on several jobs. She finds that her parents treat her and her brother with very
different expectations; he can get away with things that she would certainly
get in deep trouble for, but she also comes to see that the demands on her brother
to behave like a man can also be a burden on him. Their parents, especially their father, are very strict, and
Young Ju ends up lying to both her parents and her friends about what her life
is like. When her father learns about
her lies, her father, who drinks too much, hits her, and also hits his wife
when she tries to protect her daughter.
Because the family cares so much about its reputation and honor, they do
not tell anyone else about these problems.
But eventually the violence becomes so extreme that Young Ju calls the
police, and this has a dramatic effect on the family.

This story deals issues of ethnic
identity, gender, alcoholism, family violence, and the problems faced by
immigrants, and it could be informative for a wide range of young people. It is also a well-told story that will keep
most readers turning the pages. The
unabridged audiobook
is read well by Jina Oh; I recommend it.

Link:
RandomHouse web page for book, with Real Audio Excerpt.

© 2002 Christian Perring. First Serial Rights.

Christian Perring,
Ph.D., is Chair of the Philosophy Department at Dowling College,
Long Island. He is editor of Metapsychology Online Review.
His main research is on philosophical issues in psychiatry.
He is especially interested in exploring how philosophers can
play a greater role in public life, and he is keen to help foster
communication between philosophers, mental health professionals,
and the general public.

Categories: Children

Tags: Cross-Cultural Resources