Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Wait for Me

Na, An. 2006. Wait For Me.

An Na’s first novel, A Step From Heaven, was a National Book Award finalist and Michael L. Printz Award winner. Her second novel, Wait For Me, features older protagonists. Mina is the imperfect daughter trying desperately to live up to her mother’s high expectations. Since she can’t meet them naturally--no matter how hard she tries--she has formed the bad habit of lying to her parents, her friends, and to some extent herself. Mina is a complex character torn between finding herself and living authentically and continuing to live the lie of a ‘perfect’ and ‘obedient’ daughter that her mother expects and demands. She is also desperately trying to be there to support her younger sister, Suna, who is hearing impaired. Suna is mistreated (verbally abused) by the mother and has been since childhood when her problems came to light. The father is also pushed around (manipulated) by this domineering, controlling woman. But how long can one live a lie? Wait For Me chronicles the summer before Mina’s senior year in high school as her ‘perfect’ world begins to crumble and be replaced by a truer more authentic one. It is told through both Mina’s and Suna’s voices.

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