Eleanor and Park

Eleanor and Park is a story about two teenagers in their 10th year in high school, 1986.  The book takes place from the narrator perspective of both characters, constantly switching on and off.  Eleanor is the new girl in the school, and is different to most people. She is made fun of for her size, and her thick bright auburn hair. Park is a short Korean boy that has lived in the neighborhood his whole life. He has friends but is not a very social guy. His dad was in the Vietnam war and found his mom is Korea, fell in love and brought her back home. When Eleanor and Park first meet, Park curses at her to sit down on the bus when she couldn't find a seat. They don't talk for weeks, but when Park notices that Eleanor is reading the comic books he reads on the bus they start to bond. Eleanor is the complete opposite of park, tall, "big boned", and pale. When Park is skinny, short and tan.  But their passionate souls intertwine and fall in love with each other, despite their physical differences.

I chose to read this book because i tend to be a sucker for unlikely love. Eleanor is going through some rough stuff at home, having her mother slaving over an abusive step father that beats her mom for pleasure. So Eleanor is alone and needs someone to love her, whens she's too busy giving her love to her mom. The book is heart wrenching and has amazing quotes, and I adore books with quotes. I also just like reading books about puppy love because i wish for some love on my own. But it is harder to find when the majority of the boys in the school are hormone crazed.
This book connects to american culture because of that fact that america is a huge mixing pot for culture. Where races intertwine and mingle. I believe this represents american culture because of the way the two characters ignore there racial differences and fall in love. In most countries this kind of love is very uncommon and even shamed upon.
I recommend it to people because it shows how two very different people can fall in love despite their differences. The lovers go through shocking and heart wrenching events that would tear relationships apart, But not theirs. They remain together, huddled in the storm together, protecting each other no matter what.