Please Love Umma
Please Love Umma by Gracie Kim is a middle-grade children’s novel published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform on March 8, 2017. This 176-page book is written in English and is suitable for advanced readers aged 9-12 or in grades 4-7. The story follows eleven-year-old Korean-American Jenna Kim as she navigates the complexities of her family life, particularly the contrasting dynamics between her overprotective mother and understanding father, both of whom love her deeply but struggle with their own relationship.
Readers will find a poignant exploration of themes such as identity, culture, and the impact of loss as Jenna reflects on her mother’s death and the past year of her life. The narrative delves into Jenna’s personal challenges, including her anxiety, while she comes to terms with her family’s history and the emotional distance that has developed over time. Set against the backdrop of the Koreatown district of Los Angeles, the story unfolds before and during the Los Angeles Riots, providing a rich context for Jenna’s journey of self-discovery and understanding.
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Please Love Umma, 1st place children’s book winner of the 2018 Los Angeles Book Festival, is a middle-grade, children’s novel suitable for advanced readers ages 9-12 or grade level 4-7. This story is about an eleven-year old Korean-American girl named Jenna Kim, who experiences the dichotomy of being raised under an overprotective mother and an understanding father, parents who both love her very much but don’t seem to love each other at all. Through her experiences, she struggles and overcomes issues with death, culture, and religion as she copes with her own anxiety issues. Jenna’s mother, Umma, has died at the beginning of the story, and the novel unfolds as she reflects on the past year. She explores the relationships within her family and begins to see that, having been so close to her father her whole life, her mother had always been left out. But it’s too late to turn back time.
In this beautifully bittersweet coming-of-age story, author Gracie Kim weaves an unforgettable tale of identity, love, and the many pains involved in growing up. The setting is the Koreatown district of Los Angeles, California before and during the Los Angeles Riots.
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