For young readers grappling with questions of identity and belonging, this powerful story explores the complexities of friendship and immigrant life in a vibrant Queens neighborhood.
A parent might reach for this book when their child is navigating complex friendships or trying to understand the diverse experiences of their peers, especially concerning immigration. "Tell Us We're Home" follows three best friends in Queens, New York: Jaya, Maria, and Lola, each from a different immigrant family. Their bond is tested by the weight of secrets, particularly the fact that two of the families are undocumented. The story sensitively explores themes of belonging, identity, loyalty, and the constant fear that shapes the lives of undocumented immigrants. Appropriate for middle schoolers and up, this book provides a powerful, multi-faceted look at the meaning of home and offers a crucial window into the lives of others, fostering empathy and important family conversations.
Includes instances of prejudice and microaggressions related to immigrant status and ethnicity.
Moral AmbiguityMild
Families make difficult, legally gray choices out of necessity and for survival.
Sensitive Topics
The book deals directly with the topic of undocumented immigration. The approach is secular and realistic, focusing on the emotional and psychological toll it takes on children and families, including constant anxiety, fear of authority (ICE), and economic hardship. The resolution is not a simple happy ending; it is hopeful but grounded in the reality that the characters' legal precarity continues, reflecting the complexities of the issue.
Ideal Reader
This is for a thoughtful reader aged 12 to 16 who is interested in realistic, character-driven fiction. It's particularly resonant for a child who is an immigrant or a child of immigrants, or for an empathetic reader curious about the lives of their peers. It's also suitable for a teen grappling with family secrets or the feeling of being an outsider.
Parent Prep
No specific content requires previewing, but parents should be ready for conversations about immigration, deportation, and social justice. Understanding the basic terminology and the human side of the issue will be helpful for guiding discussions. The book can be read cold, as it provides all necessary context through the characters' experiences. A parent notices their child asking questions about news reports on immigration, or expressing concern for a friend's family situation. The child may be struggling with a friendship that has become complicated by issues bigger than them, or may feel caught between their family's culture and American culture.
Age Experience
A younger reader (12-13) will likely connect most with the friendship dynamics: the pain of keeping secrets, the tests of loyalty, and the social pressures of middle school. An older teen (14-16) will better grasp the systemic issues at play, the socio-political context of the families' struggles, and the novel’s critique of immigration policy.
What Makes It Special
Unlike many books that focus on a single immigrant narrative, this novel's strength is its triptych structure, presenting three distinct immigrant experiences (Indo-Caribbean, Mexican, and Eastern European) side-by-side. This intersectional approach highlights the diversity within immigrant communities and shows how different backgrounds face similar, yet unique, challenges in America.
Read plot summary
Set in Queens, New York, the novel follows the intertwined lives of three eighth-grade best friends: Jaya, whose Guyanese-Indian parents are legal residents; Maria, whose Mexican parents are undocumented; and Lola, whose Slovakian parents are also undocumented. The girls' deep friendship is strained by the secrets they must keep. The central conflict intensifies when Maria's father is injured and Lola's family faces imminent deportation, forcing all three girls to confront the harsh realities of their situations and what it means to belong and be a friend.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Jaya, Maria, and Lola all keep secrets from each other at different points. Why do you think they felt they couldn't be honest? Was there a time when you thought they should have told the truth sooner?
2
The book is called "Tell Us We're Home." What does the idea of "home" mean to each of the three girls? How do their definitions of home change by the end of the story?
3
Jaya’s mother, Mrs. Ali, is very protective and is initially wary of Jaya’s friendship with the other girls. Did you understand her fears? How did your opinion of her change throughout the book?
4
The story is told from three different perspectives. How did seeing the events through Jaya's, Maria's, and Lola's eyes change your understanding of their friendship and their individual problems?
