LS 5653: Module 6: Habibi

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Nye, Naomi Shihab. 1997. HABIBI. Simon & Schuster: New York. ISBN: 0-389-80149-1.

PLOT SUMMARY

Liyana’s Palestinian father Poppy has always believed that he would someday return home. Liyana’s parents have decided that the time is now. With the belief that times are better in Palestine, they move Liyana and her brother Rafik from their St. Louis home to a new home in Poppy’s hometown of Jerusalem. Poppy wants his children to understand both sides of their heritage. As Poppy becomes reacquainted with his past, Liyana, Rafik, and their American mother discover how they fit into this new culture. They meet a large collection of family who are anxious to teach them about life in this area. All is not peaceful though. Liyana falls in love with a young Jewish boy and is faced with opposition to this. She learns the fragile nature of human interaction and coexistence when a friend is shot in the refugee camp, and her father is jailed for his effort to calm the situation. The value of peace and understanding overshadow the need for constant revenge and retribution. The story ends with a hopeful look into the future.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

HABIBI is the story of a father, Poppy, who wants to teach his children about both halves of their heritage. They have lived in the United States for many years. This is their mother’s homeland. Now, it is time to move to Jerusalem to learn about their father, his family, and his homeland.

The plot of the story is simple and easy to follow. The reader watches the Abboud family pack only the most important items from their life in America and unpack these items in their new home. The plot is not fast paced or action packed. Rather it drifts with Liyana and her family as they make Jerusalem their home. The reader will enjoy the pace of book; it mirrors the pace of a simple life that Liyana strives for.

The story is floating in and out of shops, and readers are making observations with Liyana when the story surges toward its climax. A friend in the refugee camp, Khaled, is shot, and Poppy is jailed when he tries to intervene with the soldiers. The story’s tone changes from light with moments of contemplation to shocking with moments of injustice. Ms. Nye does an excellent job knocking the Abboud family and the readers off balance with these events. As quickly as Poppy is jailed and Khaled hospitalized, the situation resolves itself. Poppy is released from jail, and Khaled’s condition is improving. The story wraps up neatly with the family thinking of peace and where life will take them. The end is contemplative and satisfying.

The story is begins in St. Louis, Missouri. But the story doesn’t remain in Missouri. Quickly it transitions to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is in the Middle East. This part of the world is different than the United States but descriptions of areas focus on similarities or on how interesting Jerusalem is. Liyana misses St. Louis immediately after she moves but by the middle of the story she wonders if she misses anything anymore. Jerusalem has now become her home, and she had what she needs. She doesn’t lament what she doesn’t have. Liyana’s new home is not described as inferior nor is it inferred that it is inferior. Liyana gets to know the shopkeepers in Jerusalem just like she did in St. Louis. Jerusalem is an urban area. There is public transportation, phone service, cars, a hospital, and many other conveniences. There are rural areas in Palestine, but they are not the sole establishment.

Ms. Nye chooses to focus on the human aspect of Jerusalem. The delicate balance between Arabs and Jews is part of the discussion, but it is not the entire focus. People are not repeatedly killed by car bombs; everyone is not a fundamentalist. The family is confronted with injustice when soldiers destroy Sitti’s house, shot Khaled, and jailed Poppy. But all of this injustice is quickly rectified and is not avenged. The Abbouds are not vengeful, which shows that not all Middle Easterners are bent on revenge. Jerusalem is full of regular people, not just the mourners, soldiers, and bombers seen on television.

The characters in the story are well developed and fascinating. Liyana is a high school freshman moved across the ocean. She struggles at first figuring out how she fits into this new community. However, she continues to try to find her place and eventually succeeds. She does not argue with her parents and sulk about leaving America. She trusts Poppy’s decision and looks back at her past American life only briefly.

The main struggle Liyana has is with maintaining proper decorum when dealing with her male friend, Omer. Liyana has not grown up in this culture. She was beginning to become interested in boys prior to moving and she developed her ideas about how boys and girls interact in the United States. These expectations are different than those in Palestine/Israel. Poppy keeps trying to remind Liyana, but this just proves to be frustrating. Another issue with Omer is that he is Jewish. Relations between the two cultures are strained, and Poppy fears the worst when he finds out his heritage.

Liyana’s father, affectionately called Poppy, is an Arab who moved to the United States because of the volatile situation in his homeland. He planned to return after medical school, but he met his wife and had 2 children. He always intended to return home. When the family returns, Poppy is surprised that some things have not changed as much as he wishes. The military presence is still very real and intense. The family is retained at the airport when they arrive in Jerusalem because moving from America to the area is deemed suspicious. Poppy was not expecting this. When Sitti’s home is invaded by soldiers, Poppy is indignant. He believed that this type of activity was gone from his homeland. Interestingly, because Poppy is an Arab he refers to the country as Palestine not Israel. Many Westerners may not realize that this name distinction exists.

The Abboud family is an Arab-American family. Many may assume that they would be Muslim. They are not. Ms. Nye avoids that stereotype. The family is Christian. They do not attend church regularly, but they have Christian beliefs but are not radical. When they first move to Jerusalem, they tour all of the major Christian sites in the area. Liyana’s mother becomes very emotional as she visits these places. She is touched by their power.

Understanding oneself and one’s place in the world is the theme of HABIBI. The Abboud family finds themselves in a new country, time zone, and culture. They each have to figure out how they fit into this culture and into the family that is eager to embrace them. It is not an easy transition. Ms. Nye shows the struggles that the Abbouds confront as they meld into society. However, at no time do they complain constantly or discuss leaving. This is their home. They are with family. Leaving is only mentioned in the last few pages when Poppy and Liyana are discussing where the family members may end up in later life. It is not a plan to leave now. It is discussion regarding the map everyone follows when living his/her own life.

HABIBI consists of a great story and interesting characters. It is a fast and enjoyable read. This book would be an excellent addition to any library collection.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

From BOOKLIST: “What is it like to be young in Palestine today? That is the focus of this stirring docunovel, which breaks new ground in YA fiction… The story is steeped in detail about the place and cultures: food, geography, history, shopping, schools, languages, religions, etc. Just when you think it is obtrusive to have essays and journal entries thrust into the story, you get caught up in the ideas and the direct simplicity with which Nye speaks.”

From PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY: “Nye's climactic ending will leave readers pondering, long after the last page is turned, why Arabs, Jews, Greeks and Armenians can no longer live in harmony the way they once did.”

From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Though the story begins at a leisurely pace, readers will be engaged by the characters, the romance, and the foreshadowed danger. Poetically imaged and leavened with humor, the story renders layered and complex history understandable through character and incident. Habibi succeeds in making the hope for peace compellingly personal and concrete”

From KIRKUS REVIEWS: “In her first novel, Nye shows all of the charms and flaws of the old city through unique, short-story-like chapters and poetic language. The sights, sounds, and smells of Jerusalem drift through the pages and readers glean a sense of current Palestinian-Israeli relations and the region's troubled history.”

CONNECTIONS

Poppy takes the family to many historical and religious sites as the family settles into their new home. On a map of the area, students will label the location of these places—Jesus’ tomb, the Dead Sea, etc.

Liyana is moved from her life in the United States to a new and unfamiliar culture. How would you feel if you were in Liyana’s situation? Why would you feel that way? What do you believe would be the most difficult transition you’d have to make?

Liyana must learn Arabic to successfully navigate her new surroundings. Investigate the Arabic language with her. Use the following links to learn more about the language and its structure.
Arabic language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Arabic Language
Arabic Language
(Note: these two sites are two different web links.)