Waiting for Appa

by Jennifer R. Kim

Eunhae is nine years old when she bids a tearful farewell to her father, who leaves their home in South Korea in search of a better life in America for his family. As her Appa tries to comfort her... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1440150389
• ISBN13: 9781440150388
• Release Date: June 2009
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Moving story of loss

Eunhae, a 9 year old South Korean girl, clings to her Appa (father) who is leaving for America to make a better life for her and her mother. It will take 2 years for them to join him, and not a day goes by without her deeply missing him. When they finally arrive in San Francisco he isn't at the airport to greet them. Instead of a loving joyful reunion, they are met by his unfriendly family who inform them that her Appa is in a coma and near death. In a blink of an eye, her father dies, her mother is at the mercy of in-laws who mistreat them, and they have to find their way in a land where they don't speak the language. There is no time to grieve the loss of her father, and there is family history that no one talks about. It will take Eunhae 20 years to make this journey through grief to wholeness. I recommend this book to anyone who has lost a loved one, especially a parent, and who has found it hard to move on with their life.

Couldn't put it down!

I began reading this book on my flight home to see my family for the holidays. The first few days I was home, I constantly had that book in my hand. Everyone kept asking me, "What is this book that you're reading?!" I just couldn't put it down. I was so fascinated by it. I thought the author did a beautiful job getting into the thoughts of the main charater, Eunhae, at each age in her progression through life. When Eunhae was 9, I really thought of her like a 9 year old. When she was in college or an adult, she truly seemed to take on those characteristics. I felt like I watched a little girl grow up. One other thing I thought was fascinating was to see the difficulties that a first generation immigrant often faces. It is amazing how these people often have lives that were so successful in their homeland and then they have to take on such degrading jobs and sacrifice so much just to make it in America. It gave me a new level of respect for the immigrant families that I encounter. Great read! Definitely recommend it!!

Good Read!

I love that this story shows a girl's point of view and eventually growing up and learning that there is more than meets the eye of her beloved appa (daddy), and family. She never lets go of her father who has sacrificed so much to bring his family to America. Eventually she grows up emotionally and finds herself while visiting her homeland. This is a fascinating story, revealing many real-life challenges immigrants face, whether young or old, while struggling to find their place in this new place they call home. I read this book in one day, couldn't put it down long!

Great read!

The book is very readable in a mellifluous style. It should be a must-read for young immigrants who can relate to the multiple themes in the book. It has specific Korean nuances but that in itself is what makes it relatable to other cultures' uniqueness and universality. I especially enjoyed the passages on social status, church, color of skin, shape of eyes, other traditions and even ways of eating. But when it comes down to it, it is all about the sanctity of family, and not necessarily the family you were born into, and the value of hard work in all vicissitudes of life. I cannot wait for the next book from this very promising fledgling author.