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Thanks to @librofm for the audiobook, which I received through their educator ALC program! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Home Is Not A Country by Safia Elhillo is a POWERHOUSE. Told in verse and at only around 3 hours long, I listened to this book in a day, but haven’t stopped thinking about it since. Set in a post 9/11 world, Nima is a high school student dealing with struggles in her relationship with her mother, her burgeoning identity, and, as an Arabic woman in a post 9/11 world, constant harassment from students and adults alike. As a first generation American, she struggles with feeling too American at home, where her Arabic doesn’t sound right, and too Arabic out there, where the world refuses to see her as anything but. Nima discovers that she was very nearly named Yasmeen, and begins imagining her alter ego - someone strong, confident, and beautiful - until the inexplicable happens. I loved the way that Nima explores her family’s past and the power of our choices. I loved her realization about home and community and identity. I loved the supernatural elements (similar to magical realism) and felt that the way this story played out was unexpected and absolutely delightful. Image description in alt text! via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CMuTd_4ragd/