abuse

First of all, adored the style of the book. It is written as a series of diary entries. Also, loved the hopeful ending which reflected the ability of love to surpass so many challenges. This book has tough content. Maya is visiting New Delhi, India, with her father. They are taking the ashes of her mother there. Her mother died tragically and Maya is coming to terms with that. She was raised in Canada so she has trepidations about this trip. They are well-founded since shortly after reaching India she discovers that she is betrothed! On top of that there is a sudden revolution and her dad is caught up in it because of his religion. Maya is separated from her dad and then witnesses a most horrific sight which leaves her dumbstruck. She is taken in by a family but treated horribly by their neighbors. Finally, she gets her voice back. And there is more important plot lines of her relationship with the son in the family, Sandeep. This is an amazing story with layer upon layer of mystification with cultural differences. I learned a lot from this book.

This was my first Sarah Dessen book and I really really liked it. The main character, Ruby, wears a necklace with a key on it that becomes symbolic of letting go of her past and embracing her future. Ruby is in high school and is abandoned by her mother. She ends up living with Cora, her older sister, who has a completely different lifestyle, a wonderful husband, and an interesting young male neighbor who befriends Ruby. I love characters and this book is studded with interesting ones. Among them are the boy who tutors Ruby in calculus, the woman who hires Ruby to work with her in the mall, the young woman who works at the movie theater and becomes her friend. Ruby is shedding her old life gradually and living fully in her new life. The book is very sweet and ties up very nicely at the end but is also very realistic. I love books about second chances. This was a super one! Terrific writing, too. This is an author to watch!

A Korean family emigrates to the United States in search of a better life. Told from the viewpoint of the daughter, the story follows her from age four to age sixteen. She and her family encounter language difficulties, feelings of isolation, a struggle for identity, and an abusive relationship with her father. Young Ju, the daughter, goes to school with no understanding of English, and develops into one of the top members of her class. Apa, the father, begins to resent her acquisition of English and her successful assimilation into American culture. He resents those who understand English, mistrusts the intensions of Americans, and becomes abusive with his family. Uhmma, the mother, adapts much more readily, is able to stay focused on the dream of becoming American and allowing her children to live a better life. She and the children join a church, in order to become more accepted and further assimilated into the culture. Apa; however, holds the family back, punishing them for their successes. Eventually, the struggle to fit in becomes too much for Apa, and he moves back to Korea. The rest of the family remains in America and is finally allowed to develop as Americans.