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Nidali's father is Palestinian (p.66)

trip to Palestine for the funeral of the grandfather (p.95-106)

"Map of home" is first mentioned in the novel when Nidalis father made her draw a map of the homeland Palestine and call it the "Map of home", and teach her about the arabian history and how his life was back then (p. 66-68, 106)

Background

1967: Six-Day War. Israel pre-emptively strikes against its Arab neighbors (Egypt, Syria, Jordan) due to aggressive anti-Israeli sentiments and troop buildup. Israel conquers and occupies Sinai, Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights. The peace offer is subsequently rejected by the Arab side, along with the recognition of Israel's right to exist.

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the place Nidali spends a long time of her childhood in -> her family moves to Kuwait shortly after her birth in the US for her father’s new job

place of birth of Nidali's brother, Gamal

Nidali experiences alot of fights between her parents and abuse against her mother (p.124)

music and poetry play (played) a big role in her parents lifes (and hers) - mother was a pianist and father a poet (p.63, p.66)

Nidali visits an english school (p.66)

she experiences war in Kuwait (p.124)

Background:

1990: Escape to Egypt from Kuwait. Background: Saddam Hussein and Iraq invade Kuwait due to financial problems after the First Gulf War (with Iran, 1980-1988) to gain control over Kuwait's oil reserves. In August 1990, Kuwait is conquered. From January 1991 to March, Kuwait is recaptured by a coalition led by the USA and backed by a UN resolution. Palestinians support Iraq and are expelled after the recapture and reestablishment of Kuwaiti rule in 1991 (approximately 450,000 people).

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Nidali and her family flee to Egypt following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Nidali is around 13 years old at that time (p.159)

Nidali's mother is Egyptian

parents met in Egypt (where it all started) (p.161)

Nidali's grandfather ("geddo") was a "free officer" in 1956, who helped to deposit King Farouk (p.67)

Nidali moves to her grandparents, experiences more freedom and meets her first secret boyfriend Fakhr (p.160-209)

Background

1952: Deposition of King Farouk due to internal political and economic reasons by the military (including Gamal Abdel Nasser, later Egyptian President from 1954 to 1970). Nasser was a proponent of Pan-Arabism and Pan-Africanism, very anti-colonial, and promoted, among other things, the unification with Syria.

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Nidali is born in Boston in the late 1970s

Nidali later takes up studies in Boston (p.288-290)

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after the war ends, Nidali’s family moves to Texas (they are barred from returning to Kuwait because they are Palestinian and Nidali's father finds a job in Texas as an architect), Nidali is 14 years old then (p.232)

Nidali needs to adapt to the western culture in Texas (p.207, 232-234)

she got into many fights with her father (abuse and domestic violence) and runs away from home several times (experiences homelessness) (p.235)

she can convince her father to let her study in Boston (p.287-288)

Background

Under the Democratic presidency of Bill Clinton, a liberal climate prevailed domestically, characterized, among other things, by the fight against racial hatred. Texas, as a conservative Southern state, was still marked by the rejection of migrants at that time (and still is today). At the same time, the demographic composition was changing due to the high number of migrants. This resulted in a domestic political tension between conservative and liberal political actors.

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Randa Jarrar, queer and muslim author of the novel Map of Home, was born in Chicago in 1978 to an egyptian mother and a palestinian father

Randa Jarrar, like Nidali, was born in the USA and then grew up in Kuwait and Egypt before returning to the USA to study and has lived there since

Loose autobiographical reference of the author to Nidali

According to the author, it is a fictional novel

further readings written by the author: Him, me, Muhammad Ali & Love is an ex-country

Interview with the author Randa Jarrar:

Interview With Arab American Author Randa Jarrar - Arab America

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Interview With Arab American Author Randa Jarrar - Arab America

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Randa Jarrar’s debut novel, A Map of Home, tells the story of a young Arab-American girl, Nidali, her hilarious journey through childhood, and the many

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Source of background information:

Asseburg, M & Busse, J.: Der Nahostkonflikt, München 2016, C.H.Beck