Home Is Not a Country

Under the buzzing streetlights of a suburban American cul-de-sac, fourteen-year-old Nima feels split like lightning: one half anchored to her mother’s distant homeland, the other half bruised by classmates who chant “go back.” She whispers the fragrant name Yasmeen—the life her mom almost chose—until the phantom girl steps from the mirror and dares her to reclaim belonging. When a shattering loss snatches away her loyal friend Haitham, Nima tumbles into a lyrical, time-bending quest that fuses slam-poetry beats with desert lullabies, proving Immigrant Rights and Racial Justice start in the marrow of self-worth. This National Book Award–long-listed, Coretta Scott King–honored novel-in-verse by Forbes Africa “30 Under 30” poet Safia Elhillo spins sentences like silk kites, lifting readers across unnamed borders toward fierce compassion. Every couplet burns with the question: can you bloom where roots feel borrowed, or must you chase a ghost to plant new ones? One final revelation waits beneath the jasmine moon, daring students and faith leaders to define home beyond GPS coordinates. Tap the blue ➕ to Save to List for later inspiration, or hit the bold arrow to Learn More and connect your classroom, youth group, or congregation to Nima’s soaring fight for identity.