Toswiah/Evie and her family literally can't go home again in hush. Not to Denver, anyway, because Denver, the place Toswiah/Evie grew up and feels safe and secure and loved, isn't a safe place after Daddy testifies against two fellow cops in the shooting of Raymond Taylor. So, if home isn't home anymore, then, um, where is home? Toswiah/Evie spends a lot of time contemplating this, as well as grieving the loss of Denver, pretending that her home was in San Francisco, and rejecting the idea of her new home in the Northeast.
The only thing that's certain is this: In this book, home is a whole lot more than four walls and a roof.
Questions About Home
- Does Toswiah/Evie ever figure out what home is for herself?
- According to the novel, what elements make up a home? What do different characters argue?
- Is Toswiah/Evie more concerned with home as a city or home as the specific house where she lives?
- Can you ever have a new home? Can a new place become home? How do you know when you are home?
Chew on This
Toswiah/Evie's understanding of home includes the landscape, the weather, and the family history involved in a specific place.
Home includes everything about a place that makes it feel familiar, whether those elements are concrete or abstract.