By Gracie Kim

5.4.17 Jenna, the protagonist of Please Love Umma, notices a street that is lined with palm trees as she and Abba drive to the bookstore. She feels as if they are cruising atop a gigantic California postcard. Ironically, most of the palm trees in California are not native to the state. They were brought for aesthetics and to evoke the sense of being in paradise, which attracted more people to the area. Palm trees have since become an exotic emblem of the City of Angels and Cali, and they never fail to make me feel blissful when I drive down a street like this one after a crappy day.