59 pages • 1 hour read
This Side of Home
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Summary and Study Guide
Overview
Published in 2015, Renée Watson’s This Side of Home is a young adult realist fiction novel set against the backdrop of a gentrifying neighborhood in Portland, Oregon. As old neighbors move out and new residents move in, twin sisters Maya and Nikki grapple with differing responses to the changes. Maya feels a deep sense of loss and a desire to hold onto her community’s history while Nikki embraces the new opportunities. The novel was nominated for a Cybils Award and explores The Complex Effects of Gentrification, Building Community Amidst Change, and The Importance of Solidarity.
Other works by this author include Ways to Make Sunshine and Piecing Me Together.
Citations in this study guide refer to the eBook edition released by Bloomsbury Books in 2023.
Content Warning: The source material contains depictions of racism, alcoholism, and abuse. This study guide quotes and obscures the author’s use of the n-word.
Plot Summary
Maya Younger and her identical twin, Nikki, live in an area of Northeast Portland which is experiencing rapid gentrification. Their best friend, Essence, has to move away when her landlord decides to renovate and sell her home, and the white Jacobs family moves in.
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By Renée Watson
