The Girl in the Gold Dress

Summary of Book

Hannah’s Korean name literally means “Gold Dress,” so why doesn’t she want to be seen wearing her gold hanbok dress? 10-year-old Hannah is facing a big performance for her school’s talent show. The trouble is, she’s ashamed of her dress, the dance, even the music - they’re too different, too Korean! What if everyone makes fun of her? Will Hannah be brave enough to perform, or will she run off stage like she did at rehearsal? First, she must learn about the gold dress she’s wearing and its mysterious connection to her name and her family’s past in Korea: starting with a desperate escape from war and a secret wish hidden for decades in an envelope. Can Hannah make that wish finally come true? In this touching children’s story that spans four generations, a Korean American girl overcomes her embarrassment of her heritage to step forward with pride and share her culture with others

Author Biography

Christine still remembers the butterflies in the pit of her stomach as she performed traditional Korean fan dances as a 12-year-old growing up in Southern California. She never dreamed that over 30 years later, she would be channeling her inner fan dancer to write Hannah's story. Christine is a second generation Korean American wife and mother of two, living in San Diego. Christine loves telling stories for a living, which started with a 15-year career in TV news and continues today in public relations. She is the winner of six news Emmys and multiple PR awards. Christine was always an avid reader, but wished there were more Asian American book characters she could relate to (besides Claudia Kishi from The Babysitter's Club). So she decided to create her own! Christine also enjoys singing karaoke, photography, and baking. You can learn more at christinepaik.com

Illustrator Biography

Jung Lin Park never imagined her artwork would ever be published, especially after leaving Ewha Women's University to get married and immigrate from Seoul, Korea to Barstow, California in 1975. She put her artistic aspirations aside to raise her three children and pursue the American dream as a small business owner. She is now the proud grandmother of four grandsons, Luke, Levi, Elias, and Isaiah, and one granddaughter, Sydney, whose hanbok inspired this story. Recently retired, Lin has started painting in earnest again, at which point her daughter, Christine, approached her with the book idea. She lives in Southern California with her husband in Christ of 45 years, Hyon Joon Park. When she's not painting, she's sewing, gardening at home, or volunteering at her church.