The Orange Houses Themes

What does it mean to be free? For Fatima, freedom is what awaits her in America. The only problem? When she gets to New York, she finds that not everyone is pulling out the welcome wagon. Mik hears...

In case you missed it, there's one big relationship in The Orange Houses: between Fatima and Mik. These two gal pals quickly become best friends, talking about family, love, war, freedom, and a who...

Raise your hand if you've ever wondered: Are we really born this way? Can I blame my childhood (and my parents) for everything I don't like about myself? How much do things like war and violence ch...

You might think the fact that Mik is hearing impaired is no big deal. After all, she doesn't like people treating her differently because of it, and she makes a point of not improving her hearing w...

One of the things that terrifies people about Fatima in The Orange Houses is the fact that she's foreign. Not only that, but people suspect she's a terrorist. Why? It's not based on her actions or...

Life is so tough for Jimmi in The Orange Houses that the normal coping mechanisms—friends and family—can't keep up. So where does he go for relief? Drugs and alcohol. They numb his pain… but...

How would you communicate if you couldn't hear? Or if your voice sounded strange in your own head? What about if you didn't know the language everyone was using around you? The Orange Houses asks u...

After reading The Orange Houses, we won't be complaining about the tiny things anymore—nope, not when Fatima, Jimmi, and Mik have real problems to deal with. It's easy to sweat the small stuff wh...