When Finding My Voice by Marie Myung-Ok Lee was first published in 1992, it was groundbreaking - the first teen novel by a major publisher featuring an Asian-American protagonist by an Asian-American author. And 20 years later, it still stands the test of time (well, sort of), connecting with adolescents who are trying to figure out where they fit in the world.
The main character is Ellen, an Asian-American living in the very white small town of Arkin, Minnesota. She's got her sister's brainy example to live up to and the sternness and strictness of her parents, not to mention the racial slurs that get tossed her way by her peers and teachers. But all Ellen wants is to be a normal teenager, whatever that means.
This book showcases diversity and how to stand up for yourself, as well as appeals to any kid's broader sense of figuring out their own identity. It hasn't been updated to give it a more contemporary feel, so today's kids will be reading about Ronald Reagan and corded phones and other references that even I, as a child of the late '80s and '90s, didn't get. Hopefully, 2020 readers will be able to look past that.
Finding My Voice is published by Soho Press and is on bookstore shelves now. I received a free e-ARC to review.
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