45 pages • 1 hour read
Naomi Shihab NyeA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
The main conflict is Aref’s struggle to define home and come to terms with the fact that he will have to forge a new home for himself beyond the familiar boundaries of Oman. As Aref grows more used to the idea, he gradually realizes that with his memories and his grandfather’s stories, he can carry a version of Oman with him wherever he goes. In this way, he learns that leaving home does not mean that he loses his connection to his home, for the idea of it can travel with him.
At first, fear of leaving overwhelms Aref and fuels his reluctance to embrace the upcoming journey to the US. This inner resistance physically manifests in his inability to focus on packing, and he becomes preoccupied with his worries of how his home might change when he is gone. He does not want his room to be taken over by his cousins, and he worries about the welfare of his cat and the safety of his physical belongings, such as his rock collection.
Hidden beneath these more tangible worries is the idea that he is about to lose his home and his sense of belonging. He feels that he belongs in Oman because he has lived there since he was born.
By Naomi Shihab Nye
300 Goats
Naomi Shihab Nye
Alphabet
Naomi Shihab Nye
Blood
Naomi Shihab Nye
Burning the Old Year
Naomi Shihab Nye
Different Ways to Pray
Naomi Shihab Nye
Famous
Naomi Shihab Nye
Gate A-4
Naomi Shihab Nye
Jerusalem
Naomi Shihab Nye
Kindness
Naomi Shihab Nye
Making a Fist
Naomi Shihab Nye
Morning Song
Naomi Shihab Nye
My Uncle’s Favorite Coffee Shop
Naomi Shihab Nye
Shoulders
Naomi Shihab Nye
The Art of Disappearing
Naomi Shihab Nye
The Rider
Naomi Shihab Nye
The Words Under the Words
Naomi Shihab Nye
Valentine for Ernest Mann
Naomi Shihab Nye