One day someone asks me,
Where is home?
And I don’t know what to say.
Is home here or there?

Told from the perspective of a young refugee girl, debut children’s book author and New Voices winner Maham Khwaja tells the story of a family forced to flee their home due to violence. Emotive illustrations by Daby Zainab Faidhi balance the family’s love for one another and hope for the future with the harrowing journey to escape on foot, travel by boat, and then finally resettle in a safe place. Through it all, the young girl tries to hold on to all the pieces of her life before and find a way to rebuild a sense of home.

The Middle Eastern Studies Program welcomes Maham Khwaja for a discussion of her book for children, "The Home We Make". Named one of the Best Books of the Year 2024 by the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature and a New Voice Award Winner from Lee & Low Books, "Khwaja's heartfelt verses in some ways reflect her own experiences of moving from Pakistan to the U.S. as a six-year-old. . . . Faidhi's digital illustrations have a cinematic quality to them, not surprising from an animator of The Breadwinner. . . . A poignant look at the longing for home." (Booklist)

This event is free and open to the public- all are welcome to attend!