Unsettled by Reem Faruqi (review)

Faruqi’s verse novel, inspired by her family’s experiences as immigrants from Abu Dhabi to Peachtree City, Georgia, chronicles the bumpy first year of thirteen-year-old Pakistani narrator Nurah Haqq in Peachtree, where her family has just moved. Older brother Owais, the family golden boy, pushes past his initial rage and settles in, reprising his medal-winning swim skill in a rec center pool. Nurah, always aware she can’t compete with Owais in the looks or the skills department, and sorely missing her beloved grandparents back home, lets her lack of confidence hobble her efforts to make friends and thrive. At the pool, though, making a friend turns out to be more important than winning a medal, and in art class, her teacher is encouraging and supportive, so it looks as though life is on the upswing. Then comes the event beyond the family’s control: a Muslim shooter dominates the news, with repercussions for Owais and a load of guilt for Nurah. Faruqi’s graceful verses, many of which shine beyond the role of episodic narration, subtly limn the one-step-forward, two-steps-back period of family acclimation, as the challenges and successes of each member impact the entire household, and the relatives back home retain their importance. In her author’s note, Faruqi offers glimpses of her real-life source material, including her family’s experiences as Muslim immigrants in September, 2001.