Home

Home is more than a physical building. An individual can sometimes feel at home because of other things, including people, feelings, and even scents. The main character of this novel, Zomorod, is from Iran, but she and her parents are living in America. They are far from the place of their birth and the various characters struggle with specific aspects of “home,” including a longing for what is familiar, physical reminders of home, and a desire to feel at home in a new place.

Zomorod and her parents moved to America for a one-year assignment a couple of years prior to the opening of this novel. Zomorod recounts their first weekend in America, when her father, Mohsen, drove the family to the beach. They jumped out of the car and ran to the water, but were disappointed that it was nothing like the Caspian Sea, their...