Editors Audrey Maynard and Ann Rider for support and making me feel like my stories mattered from the beginning.
All My SCBWI Critique Partners who responded when I was just a stranger emailing and who gave me constant hope throughout the long writing process, especially Melissa Miles, Amy Board, Vicki Wilson, Tresha Render, Becky Goodman, and my first family readers: Sana Dossul for always being so kind and ready to read, Huma Faruqi, and Asna Dossul.
My Author Friends and Blurbers: Veera Hiranandani, Aisha Saeed, Hena Khan, Rajani LaRocca, Aya Khalil, Saadia Faruqi, Saira Mir, Marzieh Abbas, and Becky Sayler for being there at all hours!
Ilse Craane and Kendra Marcus, my previous agents, for telling me numerous times to write middle grade (I listened!) and for encouraging me while this book was in its broken stages.
My eleventh grade English teacher—Mrs. Patricia Carman for transforming me by giving me the gift of writing and for your inspiring “coffee breaks.”
These supportive groups: Rena’s Renegades, #DiverseDreamers, #MGBookChat, #the21ders
Author Jasmine Warga, whose novel in verse gave me the boost I needed to finish mine.
Eliot VanValkenburg, Aisha Zakaria, and Dr. Amena Dossul for swimming expertise.
My BFFs, Salma Stoman, Sarah Stoman, and Saira Pasha for coaxing me out of my writing cocoon for dinner six feet apart outside, laughter, and endless memories.
My courageous cousin Noor Faruqi for sharing your locker room incident with me.
My Whole Family (including all my twenty-five cousins!) in Peachtree City, in Pakistan, and beyond.
Mom and Abajan (Mrs. Nazia Malik and Dr. Firasat Malik), Daado-Jan (Mrs. Ismat Malik): Love and Duas. Abajan, thanks for comparing tea to the color of your skin; it inspired me!
Cousins Dr. Amena Dossul and Asna Dossul for being my sisters, my BFFS, my everything, and whose names I will trace on the beach sand for the rest of my life.
My three brothers, Hamzah, Talha, and Osman: I don’t know who I would be without you.
—Hamzah, for standing up for the man on the bus and for always being so kind.
—Talha, for saying you always thought I’d be a writer: it spurred me on more than you thought. Thank you for always cooking for us (even though my butter chicken tastes better.)
—Osman, thanks for complimenting my writing once. Means a lot coming from you! ☺
Nana (Mrs. Zarina Zakaria), so much of this book I thought of you. Thank you for always gifting us the perfect clothes. I love your love for nature. Since Nana Abu’s death, I am in awe of your strength.
My parents, Amma and Abba (Mrs. Huma and Mr. Zaheer Faruqi), for coming over, watching the children, emptying the dish rack, providing me aloo kababs, and for shaping me into who I am. Amma, special thanks for Wednesdays. Abba, thanks for your stories and love for kites. You both made moving continents look easy. Without you, I would have a very messy home and still be working on this book.
My husband, Naoman Malik, for reading my story early on, saying I had stars and just needed to make them into a constellation, and for printing out my many manuscripts over the years! Thank you x infinity for making sacrifices, BIG and small, so I could write.
My daughters Zineera, Anisa, Hanifa for cleaning, baking, joyous chaos, and for being the reason why I have to get off my computer. I pray you wear your faith proudly.
My first American friend, Chelsea Hartt-Baudhuin, who said those eight words, “Do you want to eat lunch with me?” It changed everything.
About the Author
Photo by Mariam Shakeel
REEM FARUQI is the award-winning author of the ALA Notable Children’s Book Lailah’s Lunchbox as well as Amira’s Picture Day and I Can Help. Of Pakistani descent, Reem immigrated to Peachtree City, Georgia, in the United States from the United Arab Emirates when she was thirteen years old. Reem is also a teacher and photographer who loves to doodle. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and three daughters. Like Nurah, Reem loves the Karachi beaches, crows, her aquamarine silk hijab, and especially her grandmother, Nana. Unsettled is loosely based on Reem’s own story. Visit her online at www.reemfaruqi.com.
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Copyright
UNSETTLED. Copyright © 2021 by Reem Faruqi. Interior illustrations © 2021 by Soumbal Qureshi. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
www.harpercollinschildrens.com
Cover art © 2021 by Soumbal Qureshi
Cover design by Molly Fehr
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Faruqi, Reem, author.
Title: Unsettled / Reem Faruqi.
Description: First edition. | New York, NY : HarperCollins Children’s Books, [2021] | Audience: Ages 8–12. | Audience: Grades 4–6. | Summary: Young Nurah reluctantly moves with her family from Karachi, Pakistan, to Peachtree City, Georgia, but, after some ups and downs, begins to feel at home.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020044128 | ISBN 978-0-06-304470-8 (hardcover)
Subjects: CYAC: Novels in verse. | Immigration—Fiction. | Pakistani Americans—Fiction. | Family life—Fiction. | Muslims—United States—Fiction. | Swimming—Fiction.
Classification: LCC PZ7.5.F37 Uns 2021 | DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020044128
Digital Edition MAY 2021 ISBN: 978-0-06-304472-2
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-304470-8
2122232425PC/LSCH10987654321
FIRST EDITION
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