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

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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy