A little random at times, not nearly as funny as it thinks it is, A Map of Home reads like a second draft an editor somewhere mistakenly sent to press. Nidali was cute as a very literal little girl, but the simple language Jarrar uses to narrate her young protagonist lacked charm. And then she grew into quite the asshole teenager who showed promised as a writer whose voice and prose had occasional poetic wit. Unfortunately, this wit is underdeveloped and inconsistent. I thought maybe Jarrar intentionally wrote her character as one needs to perfect her writer's voice, but it doesn't work for me. It's distracting and takes from the good qualities of the book. A good first effort, I look forward to more from Jarrar; she has great stories to tell with an interesting perspective. Hopefully we'll see more of that in her next novel A sharp, humorous and candid look at growing up in both the Middle East and the US, 'A Map of Home' is the story of Nidali, a half-Palestinian, half-Egyptian girl whose family must abandon its home in Kuwait following the rise of Saddam Hussein. The book is divided into three parts: Life in Kuwait before Saddam, life as refugees in Egypt, and finally life as immigrants in Texas. It is in the first two halves of the book that the story truly shines, presenting an honest and often painfully (literally, at times) funny portrayal of the life of a strong-willed and curious young girl. Jarrar touches on extremely serious and even disturbing topics--notably physical abuse and the tense relationship between Palestine and Israel--with a clear and uncluttered purpose that, as a Western reader used to constant news stories of terrorists and Middle Eastern wars, I found both enjoyable and illuminating. At a time when positive portrayals of Arabs are hard to come by, 'A Map of Home' is a very welcome narrative amidst the fear, stereotyping and crass misinformation. Unfortunately, the book lags in its third act. At precisely the moment when Nidali begins to find her own voice and life, Jarrar speeds up, oftentimes in a jarring way. In the end, though, this does not detract from the story, which is ultimately a young girl's understanding of her relationship with her mother, her father, and her own, unique place between three cultures.
Do You like book La Collezionista Di Storie (2010)?
Vibrant, funny, and rebellious coming-of-age story. Recommended if you enjoyed Persepolis.
—enirak65
Funny, terrifying, poignant. Nidali is a fierce character in a fierce family.
—Becky
Reading this for my "Girls" class (aka female youth culture).
—toddlack
