Habibi by Naomi Shihab-Nye

a. Bibliographic data
Shihab-Nye, Naomi. 1997. HABIBI. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0689825234

b. Brief plot summary
At her parents’ request, fourteen year old Liyana moves from her home in St. Louis to her father’s homeland, Jerusalem. As her family sells off their belongings and moves across the ocean, Liyana is worried that she will not fit in and that people will forget her. Upon arriving in Jerusalem she meets her father’s family for the first time, including her grandmother Sitti, and starts school in the Armenian quarter of the city. Slowly, Liyana adjusts to life in a new country and begins to make friends of all races and religions.

c. Critical analysis
Habibi does an excellent job of explaining life within Jerusalem without negatively portraying the varying cultures. Political situations involving the different cultures are presented, but done so through Liyana’s point of view which makes them a tad lighter in tone. Because the main character is Arab-American, the Palestinian traditions and values are dominant. Through Liyana’s encounters in the Armenian quarter and with her Jewish friend, Omer, Shihab-Nye provides glimpses of the other cultures present within the setting of the novel. Overall, the author’s attention to detail provide both well rounded views of each group of people, as well as descriptions of some of the beautiful landmarks and scenery to be found in Israel.

The cultural markers in this story are abundant. Liyana’s family speaks Arabic and many phrases are included in the text, most importantly the use of habibi and habibti (meaning my darling) are used to explain how loved and safe Liyana and her brother feel. Many native foods are referenced throughout the text, such as Jordan almonds, Jericho oranges and olive oil. Traditional dishes, like baba ghanouj, falafel, and katayef, are also introduced through Liyana’s journey.

Upon meeting her relatives, Liyana is struck by the beauty of the women’s clothing. “The women’s long dresses were made of thick fabrics, purple, gold and navy blue and stitched brightly with fabulous, complicated embroidery” (p. 40). She also mentioned the kaffiyeh (a headdress, symbolizing Palestinian nationalism) worn by some of the men that make them look “more interesting”.

Celebrations and religion also come into play while reading Habibi. Holidays that the Abboud family participated in while living in America, have more significance, especially to Liyana’s mother, now that they were “standing in a place where important things really happened”(p.165). There are also rules Liyana must learn to abide by as a woman now that she is living in conservative Jerusalem, such as not brushing her hair in public or wearing shorts and no public displays of affection.

The characters in Habibi are well defined, especially Liyana, Rafik, Poppy and Sitti. As a reader, one could use more background and insight into the character Sitti, as she seems multifaceted and interesting. Author Shihab-Nye could have an interesting sequel in the making with Liyana’s Palestinian grandmother.

d. Reviews/Awards
• From Kirkus Review: “The sights, sounds, and smells of Jerusalem drift through the pages and readers glean a sense of current Palestinian-Israeli relations and the region's troubled history.”
• From SLJ: “Poetically imaged and leavened with humor, the story renders layered and complex history understandable through character and incident. Habibi succeeds in making the hope for peace compellingly personal and concrete...as long as individual citizens like Liyana's grandmother Sitti can say, "I never lost my peace inside.”

e. Connections
• Readers who enjoy the work of Naomi Shihab-Nye can read one of these other titles:
o Sitti’s Secrets
o 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East
o Baby Radar
o Different Ways to Pray: Poems