Home Is Not a Country

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LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD • A CORETTA SCOTT KING HONOR BOOK • A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF THE CENTURY
“Nothing short of magic.” —Elizabeth Acevedo, New York Times bestselling author of The Poet X
From the acclaimed poet featured on Forbes Africa’s “30 Under 30” list, this powerful novel-in-verse captures one girl, caught between cultures, on an unexpected journey to face the ephemeral girl she might have been. Woven through with moments of lyrical beauty, this is a tender meditation on family, belonging, and home.
my mother meant to name me for her favorite flower
its sweetness garlands made for pretty girls
i imagine her yasmeen bright & alive
& i ache to have been born her instead
Nima wishes she were someone else. She doesn’t feel understood by her mother, who grew up in a different land. She doesn’t feel accepted in her suburban town; yet somehow, she isn’t different enough to belong elsewhere. Her best friend, Haitham, is the only person with whom she can truly be herself. Until she can’t, and suddenly her only refuge is gone.
As the ground is pulled out from under her, Nima must grapple with the phantom of a life not chosen—the name her parents meant to give her at birth—Yasmeen. But that other name, that other girl, might be more real than Nima knows. And the life Nima wishes were someone else’s. . . is one she will need to fight for with a fierceness she never knew she possessed.

From the Publisher

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Make Me a World
Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 22, 2022
Edition ‏ : ‎ Reprint
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593177088
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593177082
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 – 17 years
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.45 x 8.25 inches
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 – 9
Best Sellers Rank: #187,806 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #29 in Poetry for Teens & Young Adults #64 in Teen & Young Adult Parents Fiction #97 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction about Self Esteem & Reliance
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