At Indigo, we all have begun to read a little more deliberately. Our staff meetings are taking on a life of their own: in the first half, we usually discuss general ideas and concerns about the store, but following that, we all have time to talk about the most recent books we've read. It's been a very exciting opportunity to read more and to learn about books throughout the store.
At last week's meeting, my book to read and discuss was Habibi, a novel by Naomi Shihab Nye. I've managed to meet Naomi Nye twice in the past couple of years and both times left astounded by her bold and personal demeanor, her giving spirit, and her passion for life. She has written several books of poetry and a collection of essays, and I don't think she is running out of things to say.
Habibi, directed at kids and young adults, is a very special book. The protagonist, Liyana, is a creative and opinionated fourteen-year-old who finds herself feeling very uprooted when her family moves from their home in St. Louis to a town outside of Jerusalem in her father's home country. She and her little brother, Rafik, are able, for the first time, to spend time with cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents on their dad's side of the family.
Surrounded by their boisterous Palestinian family and their Armenian and Jewish neighbors and peers, they face prejudice, violence, and disregard for life. But they also experience instances of extraordinary kindness, beauty, simplicity, and hope. When Liyana befriends an intelligent and compassionate Jewish boy named Omer, her family's ideals are shaken and put to the test. Rich with tradition and surprises, this is a story of the how connected all people are, of how love can triumph over a history of violence. Habibi is not only a pleasure to read, it is a wonderful way to get kids thinking about places that sometimes seem so distant and about people who seem so different.
Naomi has lived much of this story. Like Liyana, she had warm and intelligent parents, a Palestinian father and an American mother, and a widely-admired Arabic grandmother. She has had to confront extreme violence and prejudice and decided that they aren't worth the cost. Today, I read her letter, titled "To Any Would-Be Terrorists," which is posted online at this link: http://godlas.myweb.uga.edu/shihabnye.html Piercing, honest, and determined, I couldn't help being profoundly impacted and challenged.
Please read her books, and, most of all, please believe in the hope she places on humanity.
And then live it.
~abbey
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