Book: Nami Mun, Miles From Nowhere

In Nami Mun’s Miles From Nowhere, Joon, a 13-year-old runaway, walks the isolating streets of New York City as if something good is waiting for her. Masking the abuse, suffering and addiction with independence, she fights to find the acknowledgement and happiness absent in her short-lived childhood. Her progression from young girl to young adult is not without its painful obstacles.

With every self-infliction, Joon’s bleeding love spills over forgotten family and friends. Throughout the novel, Joon makes futile attempts to connect to something concrete, instead falling at the hands of failed jobs, hits of meth, and lovers promising false hope. The subject matter sounds like it would deter readers from relating to the characters and their internal struggles, but in fact the honest beauty and brutality make the harsh situations sympathetic, and not as shocking as they should seem.

The characters are rough around the edges, but soften into compassionate friends and allies on the gritty streets. Although tough to take at times, readers will understand Joon’s pain and interpret it as their own, making Miles From Nowhere a simple attempt to spell out every individual’s endless pursuit of happiness.

 

Related articles

Forget what you heard

The Kansan's four part series showcasing hip hop's impact on a mix ...

/news/2011/jun/30/forget-what-you-heard/

Ghost world

As winter approaches, downtown Lawrence’s sizeable homeless population must deal with crowded ...

/news/2008/dec/10/ghost_world/

Malicious Intimacy

Four students' experiences with domestic violence.

/news/2011/may/04/malicious-intimacy/

For Pain or for Party

The highs and lows of prescription painkillers and sedatives

/news/2007/jan/25/pain_or_party/

Stressed in the city

My first job interview in New York

/news/2010/nov/11/stressed-city-new-york/

No holds barred: The secret life of ...

It might be one of the most recession-proof jobs in America.

/news/2009/jan/15/bartenders/

Inked

/news/2005/apr/28/jayplay_features_inked/

New York state of mind

The stories of three KU graduates living and working in the Big ...

/news/2008/oct/30/new_york_state_mind/

A sobering struggle

College students with alcoholism fight to overcome their addiction in an alcohol-infused ...

/news/2008/dec/03/sobering_struggle/

Garrison: Mental illness must be discussed openly

Tragic consequences of depression cannot be prevented by ignoring its prevalence.

/news/2010/sep/17/mental-illness-should-be-discussed-openly/

Widower librarian shares wife's KU legacy

/news/2005/oct/06/widower/

Morning Brew: Lions look to improve

For Detroit, the only way to go from winless is up.

/news/2009/sep/09/Morning_brew/

University Theatre puts twist on “Eurydice”

Student cast plays modern Greek myth characters in performance that opens tonight.

/news/2009/feb/09/theatre/

New name, same sound

Don’t call them ‘Volunteers’ anymore. They’re ‘the Vols,’ and the Lawrence band ...

/news/2008/jun/27/new_name_same_sound/

Marsaglia: Facebook questionnaire posts reveal raw inner ...

How candid, or unknowingly candid, are Facebook users about their faults?

/news/2011/feb/10/marsagliafacebook-questionnaire-posts-reveal-raw-i/

The unsettled life of Sarah Bregman

How one student's tumultuous past gave her a chance for a better ...

/news/2011/may/09/unsettled-life-sarah-bregman/

Movie: How to Lose Friends and Alienate ...

/news/2008/oct/09/movie_how_lose_friends_and_alienate_people/

Putting words into sustainable action

Associate Professor Simran Sethi is working on creating an eco-friendly home and ...

/news/2009/nov/06/Sethi_sustainable/

Streets of Rage

IBM survey reports increases levels of road rage.

/news/2012/jan/31/streets-rage/

Moreland: Novel confronts humanity's flaws

Book reviewer Josh Moreland discusses "Let the Great World Spin."

/news/2012/jan/19/moreland-novel/

Past the finish line

Former track athlete Laura Nightengale looks for a fit on campus after ...

/news/2010/sep/24/past-finish-line/

Overworked students' dangerous race against time

Is too much work and too little time putting students' health at ...

/news/2011/apr/28/time-not-our-side/

Nowhere to run

Former KU running back June Henley couldn't adjust to life without football. ...

/news/2008/apr/25/henley/

From foster child to college grad

Former foster children face a difficult road in college.

/news/2010/mar/24/foster-child-college/

Malicious Intimacy: Ashley and Kyle

Trapped in abuse: student's resilience breaks a family cycle of violence

/news/2011/may/04/malicious-intimacy-ashley-and-kyle/

Where will all the Jayhawks go?

As three Jayhawks hope to become first round picks in Thursday night's ...

/news/2008/jun/25/players/

Couples Advice with Karsten Erdman and Rachel ...

Successful couples share their secrets.

/news/2012/jan/25/couples-advice-karsten-erdman-and-rachel-buoye/

Put Up Your Dukes

Your hands are talking about you and you probably don’t even know ...

/news/2007/apr/05/put_your_dukes/

Matney: The viscious cycle of love and ...

You may be unwittingly feeding in to the demise of romance.

/news/2010/apr/28/matney-viscious/

Brinker: Politicans fail to heed past mistakes

For both parties, the extensive history of political controversy has done little ...

/news/2010/mar/23/brinker-politicans/

‘Harry Potter’ remains popular among students

The latest movie keeps young adults coming back to catch up with ...

/news/2010/nov/21/harry-potter/

Unlicensed: A T-Shirt Tale

Meet Larry Sinks, the man behind JoeCollege.com and its controversial T-shirts.

/news/2008/dec/08/joecollege/

Transgenders share stories of perseverance

The International Transgender Day of Remembrance was this past Saturday.

/news/2010/nov/21/transgenders/

Losing weight, losing control

Among the millions who struggle with eating disorders, the majority suffer from ...

/news/2011/apr/27/weight-loss/

Back in the game

Angel Goodrich was cleared for full-contact practice six months after a torn ...

/news/2009/apr/16/back_game/

Lawrence's landlord: a developer's story

Doug Compton, owner of First Management, has helped guide Lawrence's development for ...

/news/2011/may/05/lawrences-landlord/

One Man's Trash

Moving out? Don’t throw unwanted items away — donate them to a ...

/news/2007/may/10/one_mans_trash/

'Once in a lifetime' opportunity

Making the journey for Barack Obama’s inauguration

/news/2009/jan/20/once_lifetime/

‘Take Back the Night’ promotes awareness

Victims of domestic violence and sexual assault share stories and shelters provide ...

/news/2010/sep/23/take-back-night-promotes-awareness/

Kansas Relays events relocate to downtown

After 84 years, the Kansas Relays plan to switch it up.

/news/2011/apr/07/relays-relocate/

Comments

Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.

Sign in to comment