Rising from the Ashes is a compelling, nuanced account of the complex conflict and its impact on L.A.’s Black and Korean American communities

On April 29, 1992, following the acquittal of four police officers charged with the beating and arrest of Rodney King and the earlier killing of teenager Latasha Harlins, the city of Los Angeles erupted in violence. RISING FROM THE ASHES, a new YA nonfiction book coming May 7, 2024, traces the uprising from the longstanding mistrust between LA’s communities to its reverberations throughout the city.

Based on more than 100 original interviews, thorough researcher Paula Yoo unfolds the events of spring 1992 through the experiences of the families of King, Harlins, shooting victim Edward Jae Song Lee, and dozens of business owners, journalists, police officers, firefighters, activists, and other community members. Many of the uprising’s events centered on the city’s Koreatown, where tensions between the Black and Korean American communities had simmered for years, fueled by economic challenges and redlining and enflamed by sensationalized and racist media.

Deeply researched and compulsively readable, this is a vivid, propulsive, and moving story of a pivotal moment in recent American history that continues to resonate today. The narrative is brought to life by Yoo, who was the winner of the 2021 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for Nonfiction, longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, a finalist for the YALSA Award for Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction, and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in Young Adult Literature.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paula Yoo is a prolific TV writer/producer, freelance violinist, and author of several books for children, including her award-winning debut YA nonfiction book, From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry. She lives in Los Angeles, California.

RISING FROM THE ASHES
By Paula Yoo

On sale May 7, 2024 | 978-1-324-03090-9
Ages 12+ | Hardcover YA Nonfiction | $19.99

Praise for Rising from the Ashes

Starred Reviews:
Kirkus ★
Publishers Weekly ★
Horn Book ★
School Library Journal ★
The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books ★

Awards:
2025 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award
2025 SCBWI Golden Kite Finalist: Nonfiction for Older Readers (Winner announced 2/21)
2024 Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Publishers Weekly: Best Books of 2024
Kirkus Reviews: Best Books of 2024
Horn Book: Fanfare Best Books of 2024
School Library Journal: Best Books of 2024
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books: Blue Ribbon 2024
Chicago Public Library: Best of the Best Books 2024
Missouri State Teachers Association: Best New Books for Missouri Students 2024
Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature: Best Books of 2024

★ “Yoo vividly and movingly conveys the broader historical context and the many lives that were affected, shedding light on systemic challenges that continue today. A nuanced and necessary narrative.”

—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ “Yoo offers a grim and well-researched account of an event that teen readers may have heard of, but likely do not know about with any detail… Dozens of interviews and quotes are seamlessly integrated to make a flowing and compelling narrative.”

—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review

★ “A comprehensive, kaleidoscopic account… Using extensive research and original reporting, Yoo creates deeply humanizing portraits of King; Harlins; Edward Jae Song Lee, a young man killed trying to protect a pizza parlor; and their families.… A powerful and compelling history book that shows how the past still affects the present.”

—Horn Book Magazine, starred review

★ “Yoo’s message of empathy, progress, and resilience following tragedy prove resonant in this moving account that remains relevant to contemporary society, in which smartphones have replaced camcorders in individuals’ quest to expose police brutality and systemic racism.”

—Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ “Yoo offers a complex and nuanced look at racial inequities, the war on drugs, and policing. The impossible task of distilling years of conflict and turmoil into a condensed space is achieved with grace and representation… An important, balanced text for collections working to build digestible historical titles related to race and America.”
—School Library Journal, starred review

“Yoo tells the whole stories of Edward Jae Song Lee, Latasha Harlins, and Rodney King, who were each victims of racial profiling, police brutality, and a criminalized landscape that left them behind. Yoo outlines every detail, painting as clear of a picture as possible, and includes multiple perspectives and explanations of topics like redlining, policing, and legal matters to provide context to young readers. The victims’ stories are also not sanitized, but the attention to matters that contributed to the events turns true-crime tales into a look at people’s real lives.”

—Booklist

“Sadly, this topic still resonates strongly today, making this new nonfiction read both relevant and riveting. The information is well researched and movingly presented, using historical context to shed light on issues that fired uprisings then and continue to do so today.”

—We Are Teachers

“Author Paula Yoo writes with careful crafting of the stories of three families at the heart of these events. She reaches back into family history and eventually satisfies us with “where they are now.” Her narrative is compelling, balanced, and respectful. Yoo researched historical records, but she also interviewed family and friends and eyewitnesses, those who didn’t find it too painful to recall those days. Yoo’s writing presents facts alongside emotions. She provides details that make her weaving more textured. Throughout the book, her language brought tears to my eyes with its fairness and empathy.”

—Reading Ahead

“Unforgettable first-person accounts, dozens of archival photos, and a page-turning narrative bring a complicated and divisive time in American history to life. The massive amount of information in Rising from the Ashes could well overwhelm some readers, but woven between all the facts, events, and news accounts are photos and deeply personal memories from the families of King, Lee, and Harlins. Tasha was always writing in her notebook, was great at dancing and lip syncing, and her favorite song was “Stand by Me.” Eddie loved camping with his family and classic rock n’ roll and was so proud of his Korean heritage that he’d share kimchi from his lunch with classmates. King’s daughter, Lora, who was just seven when her father was beaten, remembers how he’d sing the Billie Holliday song “God Bless the Child” to her, how he expected her to do well in school, and how much he loved “spontaneous adventures” like taking her skiing for the first time. These personal anecdotes weave together the important historical context and reveal just how much the past informs the present. A compelling narrative that belongs on every teen’s bookshelf.”

—Common Sense Media