100 pages • 3 hours read
Atia AbawiA Land of Permanent Goodbyes
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2018A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
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Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Character Analysis
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The title of A Land of Permanent Goodbyes refers to Syria. Often, the goodbyes depicted are permanent because of death (for example, when Musa says goodbye to his parents). The Syrian refugees are also saying another type of goodbye—to their homeland, where they are unlikely to return. Then there are uncertain goodbyes, like the one between Fayed and Tareq, who aren’t sure when and if they will reunite. There are even “false” permanent goodbyes, as evidenced by Salim’s character—presumed dead, only to return. Explain the significance of the book’s title, considering the various types of “goodbyes” in the book.
A Land of Permanent Goodbyes is technically a young adult novel. It deals with heavy topics that many young adults don’t face themselves, such as war. How does the use of an omniscient narrator allow for such themes to be explored more deeply?
Salim has a difficult story of his own, which is only recounted by Destiny in the book’s Epilogue. Why would the author choose to include Salim’s story—even though only the briefest details are given? What does this subplot add to the book? Consider also the mysterious text messages Salim sends his brother.
The book is full of helpers but also villains. Choose one helper and one villain, and contrast their stories, exploring what makes them a helper versus a villain.
Language is a major factor in the book. Instead of writing in straight English, the author intersperses the narrative with bits of Arabic, Turkish, and Greek—following Tareq’s journey. Unless the reader speaks all of these languages, he/she will have to consult the glossary in the back of the book to discover what those words mean. Why would the author choose to do this? How does this allow the reader to empathize with Tareq?
While Tareq’s journey is undoubtedly extremely tough, he points out the added difficulty that women face—for instance, when he sees the Syrian women being exploited in Istanbul. Look at some of the book’s female characters and explore the added hardships that women face. Possibilities include Shams and Asil, Najiba and Jamila, Susan, or Muzhgan.
Alexia is just one of many helpers described in the book. She is joined by people like Tina, Famke, Hilda, Michael, Joel, Dean, and many others. The author frequently makes a point of specifying where all these helpers are from. What purpose does this serve? Why would the author bother to include these details?
Why would the author choose to include the story of Susan’s being snatched by human traffickers towards the end of the book? This small side-plot could arguably have been left out and the book’s narrative—recounting Tareq’s journey from Syria to Germany—continued without it. How does this add suspense to the narrative?
The final lines of the book are essentially a plea for empathy, as Destiny asks the reader “I hope you will provide that warmth, be that helper, do what you can to make the world a better place” (272). Identify moments in the book that the author uses to build empathy between the characters and the reader.
