Home Is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo

 

Yesterday, I finished reading Home Is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo. This magical realistic novel in verse is about a Black Muslim girl, Nima, who feels like she doesn't belong and wonders what her life would have been like if her parents named her Yasmeen as they originally planned before her dad was murdered. After her best friend, Haitham, is attacked by an Islamophobic group of men, Nima is pulled into an old photograph of her parents by Yasmeen, the version of herself she imagines. Everything is not all that it seems in the past, though, and Nima must decided if her life is worth fighting for before it's too late.

This novel in verse was different than anything else I've read over the past school year. I was expecting a realistic story, so I was quite surprised with the magical elements. The writing was exquisite and the pictures that Elhillo painted in my head made me want to visit Nima's home country and celebrate with her family. At the same time, this book is about Nima's loneliness and pain. My heart broke for her when she felt unloved by her mother and found out that Haitham was in the hospital with life-threatening injuries. I could also relate to her struggle of thinking that her mom would be happier if she was born differently. I was most fascinated by the appearance of Yasmeen, though. It was very surreal, and I had no idea what was going on, if she was a phantom or a delusion created by Nima, until she pulled Nima into the past. It was really interesting how Nima learned what led her mom to move to America and could cause small changes to the past leading to slightly different present. Overall, Home Is Not a Country is an incredible exploration of identity, heritage, self-love, and family and anyone who has ever wondered "what if?" should read it.