Finding My Hat (First Person Fiction)
Grade 5-8-Jin-Han Park's earliest memory is of losing his hat to a strong wind in Chicago. The son of Korean immigrants, he seems to be blown around a lot himself, as his parents move from Chicago to Memphis to Houston searching for a better life and a place to establish their wig business. Son's first novel is a moving and sometimes hilarious portrait of a young immigrant trying to find his place between the culture of his parents and that of his friends and classmates. Set in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the book follows Jin-Han from the age of two to the death of his mother when he is in high school. Each memory, from wetting his pants in nursery school to the confusion and excitement of his first girlfriend, is endearing. Although Jin-Han is a fictional character, the author's note reveals that the story has many autobiographical elements. And while it is filled with descriptions of Korean food and culture (a glossary is appended), the feelings and experiences described are universal. One thing that may confuse readers early on is that Jin-Han's parents switch between Korean and English, a transition that is sometimes only indicated by the awkward grammar of their English speech. This is a minor complaint, though, in what is otherwise a beautifully written and deeply personal account of growing up.Ashley Larsen, Woodside Library, CACopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.