44 pages • 1 hour read
Marina BudhosAsk Me No Questions
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2006A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 1-4Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 1 Summary
Content Warning: The source material depicts Islamophobia, ethnic stereotyping, and family separation in the context of the US immigration system; it also references sectarian violence and colonialism.
The Hossain family is traveling from New York to the Canadian border in Vermont in a bid for asylum. In the family car, Nadira’s mother (“Ma”) and father (“Abba) sit in the front; Nadira and her older sister, Aisha, sit in the back. As they pass through Boston, Aisha begins to cry, mourning the loss of her dream to attend Harvard Medical School.
Originating from Dhaka in Bangladesh, the family arrived in America when Nadira was just seven, settling in New York on expired visas. Reflecting on their arrival, Nadira recalls, “Even then we were afraid because we knew we were going to stay past the date on the little blue stamp of the tourist visa in our passports. Everyone does it” (7). In the car, Nadira wrestles with the feeling of living in her older sister’s shadow, as Aisha is a straight-A student.
The Hossains’ lives have become increasingly challenging since 9/11. The enactment of the Patriot Act, heightened security measures, and the implementation of special registration processes exacerbated their already precarious situation. The climate of fear and suspicion was particularly intense for Muslims, many of whom were subjected to deportations and placed on watch lists. Observing the escalating difficulties, more and more Bangladeshi Americans have sought refuge in Canada.
Chapter 2 Summary
Upon reaching the immigration station on the Vermont-Canadian border, a Canadian officer delivers the family the disheartening news that Canada is currently overwhelmed with asylum seekers and unable to accommodate more. This rejection forces the family to return to the United States.
Chapter 3 Summary
Nadira reflects on her homeland, Bangladesh. She describes it as a place where land and sea blur into one: a region rich in history but marked by colonial and political upheaval. Bangladesh, once a kingdom, transformed under British rule. She highlights the particularly tumultuous year of 1943, when the region suffered greatly due to the British fighting the Japanese, leading to widespread famine and suffering.
The postcolonial era saw further turmoil with the partition of Pakistan and India, which reshaped the region’s political landscape. During partition, violence broke out between Hindus and Muslims as populations migrated to avoid becoming religious minorities in the newly established nations. This reminds Nadira of a familiar feeling: the unpredictable emergence of terror from the soil beneath her feet.
Chapter 4 Summary
Nadira and Aisha are on the road back to New York; their father is in INS detention, and Ma is staying at a shelter in Vermont. Despite all that has happened, silence hangs between the sisters. Nadira thinks about all the things she knows about her family that no one else does, like how hardworking Aisha is, even though her classmates think her success comes naturally.
Nadira describes her family’s life since coming to the United States. Initially they associated only with other Bengali families. However, as time passed, Aisha began to integrate more, particularly at school. Nadira discusses the dynamics between herself and Aisha, revealing moments of embarrassment and sibling rivalry. When they stop at a buffet on their drive, Aisha makes a hurtful comment about Nadira’s size—Nadira is the only person in her family who is overweight. Despite the rising tension, Aisha reminds Nadira of the bond they share as sisters; she emphasizes the importance of unity and mutual support, especially now that they are separated from Abba and Ma.
Chapters 1-4 Analysis
The novel introduces the Hossains in motion and en route, symbolizing their liminal existence as undocumented immigrants and establishing the theme of The Struggle for Identity and Belonging in a New Country. Their national identity is in limbo from the start; they have been living in the US but are not citizens, and their choice to pursue asylum in Canada implies their rejection of American identity.
However, it quickly becomes clear that the Hossains’ actions are themselves a response to rejection. As undocumented Muslim immigrants in the post-9/11 US, the Hossains embody the theme of The Impact of Immigration Policies on Families. In a nation where Muslims face heighted suspicion and scrutiny, the family occupies a vulnerable position. Abba summarizes their reasons for seeking asylum in Canada when he asks, “Why should we wait for them to kick us out? […] I want to live in a place where I can hold my head up” (28). Abba’s statement highlights the family’s desperation; their choice to seek asylum in Canada is not really their choice at all. Abba’s remark also suggests that relocation is the only way to preserve a sense of cultural pride and identity, as remaining in the US entails constantly confronting prejudice. Yet the family’s attempt to seek refuge leads to further complications. The subsequent separation of the family is not simply physical; rather, it symbolizes the emotional and psychological strain harsh immigration policies inflict on families. The early chapters depict the fragmentation of their family unit in response to such policies.
The novel contextualizes this critique of US immigration policy with reference to colonialism and its legacy of intergenerational trauma. Nadira’s description of Bangladesh’s geography paints it as a country that lacks even the natural border of land and sea (the latter is a recurring motif). Its political borders have been fluid as well but have also been subject to fraught and bloody efforts to demarcate clear boundaries. Borders between countries may be unnatural, the novel suggests, but that does not render them any more porous for people trapped on one side or the other. The history of partition makes the Hossains acutely aware of this, and their struggles with the US and Canadian immigration systems reawaken those memories, as Nadira’s sense that the very land beneath her is unsafe demonstrates.
The opening chapters also establish the dynamics within the Hossain family—in particular, the relationship between Nadira and Aisha, which also introduces their differing attitudes toward belonging. Aisha, who is academically successful and seemingly more adapted to American life, inadvertently overshadows Nadira. Nadira consequently struggles with her sense of worth and achievement, creating tension between the sisters. Nevertheless, there is an inherent bond between the sisters. They share a common background and face similar challenges, which becomes evident on their drive back to New York. Aisha’s educational achievements and ambitions, such as her dream to attend Harvard Medical School, signify her efforts to establish herself in American society. Nadira’s struggle is more internal, involving her feelings of inadequacy and being different from her family, particularly physically. At heart, each sister wants to belong, though the community they seek entrance into—the culture for Aisha, family for Nadira—differs.
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By Marina Budhos
