Home Is Not a Country

Nima, an Islamic girl, living in the United States, contemplates whether her life would have been better if her family had stayed in her home country as she navigates living in a place where she feels she does not belong. Reality meets fantasy as Yasmeen, Nima’s ghostly alter ego, takes Nima on a journey of self-discovery, helping her to learn that home is where your heart is. Appropriate for Grade 7–12 readers, this novel-in-verse broaches complex social issues such as Islamophobia, single-parent homes, and immigration while also highlighting the theme of community. The book’s magical elements and alternate realities may support classroom exploration of social injustices, global conflict, and life in a multicultural society, lending itself as an independent novel study or to support research on the immigrant experience.