59 pages • 1 hour read
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Chapters 10-12Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 10 Summary
Kareem and his parents have brunch with Maya and her family. Sofia makes the food, and it smells good. Maya dresses in salwar kameez with earrings and a necklace. Sofia compliments her appearance. Maya feels bad, knowing the day is not going to turn out the way her mother hopes. Kareem and his parents arrive, and the adults disappear into the kitchen. Kareem bends down to kiss Maya, and she asks him if he is crazy. Her parents do not approve of kissing.
The mothers usher the young people to the backyard picnic table, where Kareem and Maya are alone. Maya says they need to talk and tells Kareem that she does not like him the same way that he likes her. She bursts into tears, and Kareem comforts her: “Maya, you can’t force yourself to be into someone” (116). Maya wonders what she and Kareem should tell their parents about their relationship. Kareem does not seem worried: “Simple is best and most believable. We want to be friends. Boom. Done” (119). Maya feels sad that she will not be Kareem’s future bride.
Ethan sits in the van, waiting. He feels the scar on his head with his fingers. He remembers wanting to sit next to a girl in a college class. Her boyfriend pushed him aside.
Chapter 11 Summary
Maya has invited Hina to be a supportive presence as she tells her parents about her acceptance to NYU. Before the big talk, Hina asks how the brunch went with Kareem and his parents. Maya explains that she and Kareem are just friends, which upsets Sofia. Hina calms her sister and assures Sofia that Maya will have no problems finding “eligible suitors when the time comes” (124). Then Maya announces that she applied to NYU to study filmmaking and was accepted. Her parents become upset and speak to each other in Urdu, their native language. Asif asks her to explain why she applied to NYU without telling them. Maya apologizes and says that she did tell Hina that she was applying to NYU. Hina gently reminds Sofia that she also made a big trip—from India to the United States. The following morning, Maya fails to rinse a plate before putting it into the dishwasher. Sofia tells her, “If you’re going to be on your own, you can’t eat off dirty plates. God help you” (133). Maya asks if this means she can go to NYU, and her dad nods. She hugs him. Sofia gets an egg from the fridge and goes through a ritual to remove the evil eye. Maya thinks this is silly but participates. She cannot wait to tell Kareem and Phil that the conversation with her parents went well, and she feels hopeful about her life dreams.
Ethan watches a mother take her young daughter to the daycare center. He pauses when he sees the girl: “Collateral damage” (137). Then he hits the gas pedal.
Chapter 12 Summary
Violet and Maya go to school. Waiting at Maya’s locker are two of Lisa’s friends, who announce that Phil and Lisa are broken up but also issue a warning: “Maya, don’t even think about going to prom with Phil” (140). She and Violet go to French class. During a film, an announcement comes over the loudspeaker to declare a lockdown; students are to remain in their classrooms. Soon everyone looks at their phones and realizes a terrorist attack has occurred in Springfield. Maya whispers, “Please, please let everyone be okay. […] Please don’t let it be a Muslim” (145). She thinks about September 11, 2001, and Islamophobia. A security guard gives the French teacher a piece of paper, which confirms a terrorist attack on a federal building in Springfield. “It’s a Muslim terrorist! They hate America!” Brian shouts (148). The teacher warns against speculating without any factual information. When the students are finally dismissed, Maya sees Phil comforting Lisa.
A spokesman answers questions at a press conference. He confirms that a white van was present before the attack. He also confirms that a passport was found in the rubble. The passport belongs to an Egyptian named Kamal Aziz, and an investigation is underway.
Chapters 10-12 Analysis
Major plot points occur in these chapters. Maya tells her parents that she wants to go to NYU. Asif and Sofia concede Maya even though they are not pleased; Maya is overjoyed and hopeful about her life. Then the federal building in Springfield, Illinois, is blown up in a terrorist attack. Brian Jennings, Maya’s classmate, blames Muslims. Based on descriptions of the terrorist and the Muslim mother in previous chapters, the text leads readers to believe that Brian might be correct. When investigators find Kemal Aziz’s passport in the rubble, Brian’s assumption appears confirmed.
The similarities to the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 are made explicit when Ethan sees a little girl at the daycare center and dismisses her as “collateral damage” just before he accelerates; the real-life incident involved a daycare center, too, and several of the casualties were children. Ahmed also evokes the American memory of September 11, 2001, to add layers and urgency to the plot. The 9/11 airplane attacks were suicide missions. Since Ethan appears to be a suicide bomber, this textual and cultural evidence collectively points to a Muslim terrorist even more strongly.
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