HOME IS NOT A COUNTRY

😍😍😍

This book is nothing short of original. Safia really dug into her emotional memory to story tell in such a beautiful and authentic way. It really captures her experiences of the diaspora and the longing of a country/ home so very well.

Nima is a young girl who has always been torn between two versions of herself-- who she is versus who she could have been if she had been born Yasmeen. Yasmeen was the name her father wanted to give her, but after her father’s untimely death her mother decided to name her Nima instead. When Nima thinks of her alternative self, she imagines that Yasmeen is beautiful and graceful in every way that she isn’t, that Yasmeen’s father is still alive, and Yasmeen and her parents are living happily in their home country surrounded by family.Nima’s reality is quite different.She is awkward and anxious. She is desperate to know more about her home country and her father, but only ever gets scraps of information from her mother who just wants to forget the place where she experienced the pain of losing her love. She faces islamophobic harassment from her classmates, which only gets worse after the 9/11 attacks. All Nima wants to do is disappear from this life. The more and more Nima begins to long for the life she could have had, the more she begins to disappear and the spirit of Yasmeen begins to appear to her. As Yasmeen takes her on a journey to the past, Nima begins to uncover truths about her family that may change her life forever, and maybe even her fate too.Safia Elhillo’s writing is breathtakingly beautiful. Absolutely stunning in every way. I think that the narrative-poetry style of the book works perfectly for this story. Elhillo does an incredible job of portraying these struggles of identity and romanticizing these imaginary lives we create in our own mind. There’s also a bit of magical realism later on in the novel and the language truly makes this part come to life and feels very surreal!I highly, highly recommend this book. I read this in one sitting because I could not put it down! And don’t mind me, I’m just adding more Safia Elhillo poetry to my shopping cart as I type.

I am recommending this book to all young girls and boys of my second generation American-Indian family!

Powerfully written book soulful and inspiring.