A Map of Home

A Map of Home is a 2008 coming-of-age novel by Randa Jarrar. The novel follows the life of Nidali, a girl of Palestinian, Greek, and Egyptian descent who grows up between Kuwait, Egypt, and the United States. The novel contains three parts, each of which correspond to Nidali’s time in these three different countries. During her childhood, Nidali navigates extreme circumstances, grappling with violence, family conflict, and the backdrop of war, all while exploring her own identity—including her cultural identity, her sexuality, and her queerness. Jarrar, a queer Egyptian and Palestinian author who grew up in Egypt, Kuwait, and the United States, draws on personal experience to shape the character of Nidali. Throughout A Map of Home, Nidali grapples with Multicultural Identity and the Meaning of Home, trying to find her place in a world marked by displacement and constant change. Along the way, the narrative explores the theme of Relationships as War, linking the backdrop of war to the conflicts and tensions within Nidali’s own family. Lastly, the novel situates School as Both Refuge and Battleground, exploring the