Accessibility links
'Mika in Real Life' focuses on identity and the diversity of parental bonds : NPR's Book of the Day Young adult author Emiko Jean is out with her first book for adults – Mika in Real Life. In this episode, we hear Jean in conversation with WBUR's Celeste Headlee about the book, in which a teen girl – Penny – tries to connect with her birth mother Mika. Jean says that just as Penny and Mika struggle to figure out who they are, much of the book mirrors the author's own identity struggle as a Japanese-American woman.

NPR's Book of the Day

'Mika in Real Life' focuses on identity and the diversity of parental bonds

'Mika in Real Life' focuses on identity and the diversity of parental bonds

Listen · 10:24
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1128629649/1129129839" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
William Morrow
Enlarge this image
William Morrow
William Morrow
William Morrow

Young adult author Emiko Jean is out with her first book for adults – Mika in Real Life. In this episode, we hear Jean in conversation with Here and Now's Celeste Headlee about the book, in which a teen girl – Penny – tries to connect with her birth mother Mika. Jean says that just as Penny and Mika struggle to figure out who they are, much of the book mirrors the author's own identity struggle as a Japanese-American woman.