80 pages • 2 hours read
Andrea Beatriz ArangoSomething Like Home
Fiction | Novel/Book in Verse | Middle Grade | Published in 2023A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Control and Resilience in Times of Change
Through Laura’s close point of view, the book illustrates that children are often powerless over their lives, and must endure tough transitions. Kids often struggle with drastic changes, the instability causing them to feel overwhelmed or upset. For example, despite adults like Janet and Silvia believing they’re offering the best options, Laura resents the new arrangement; she feels that her past home had “a little more” not “less” compared to her life with Silvia (31). Her emotional response is valid, as she’s denied the control she craves over her life. Since she feels trapped, Laura often withdraws into silence or reacts with anger, as she does during Brenda’s home visit:
[I]t’s too much,
all this not knowing
and Titi snitching
and people hiding things from me
like I’m in first grade […]
and my voice sounds ice-cold when I ask:
What meeting? What Monday? […]
Just because I’m eleven doesn’t mean
I shouldn’t know what is happening
in MY OWN LIFE. (153).
Laura’s struggle to be heard and harness her agency are emblematic of this theme.
As she faces a lack of control, Laura must become more resilient. Initially, Laura is stuck in her mindset of the temporary, so she defies rules and authority, such as sneaking into the hospital. Her desire for control causes her to deny her situation and suppress emotions until they pour out (through hurtful words or sobbing). Instead of immersing herself in her new school, giving Benson a chance, or compromising with Silvia, she pushes everyone aside. Although she’s adamant about reuniting with her parents, Laura’s breakthrough occurs when she accepts change. She only thrives in her new circumstances once she gives foster care, Silvia, Benson, and Sparrow a chance at being her “forever” family and waiting patiently for her parents. In the conclusion, when she stops forcing her parents, Benson, or others to act the way she wants and accepts that life has many unknowns, she completes this theme’s arc.
Sparrow also showcases the theme of resilience, empowering Laura to accept change and become more flexible. His survival of abandonment and dehydration inspires Laura’s resilience. Saving Sparrow teaches Laura that her decisions can make a positive difference—unlike her guilt over “losing” her parents. Sparrow’s love for his new home and family is a model for Laura to embrace the unexpected. The puppy adjusts to his home, learning to be potty-trained, complete tricks, and follow rules from his owner. Like Sparrow, Laura must learn to play by the rules of higher authorities, like Silvia or Janet, and find composure during uncertain periods. Laura can channel Sparrow’s unfazed attitude. Like him, Laura learns to stay steadfast through hardships and find peace by focusing on the aspects of her life she can control and letting go of all else.
The Healing Power of Animals
Sparrow embodies the theme of animals as therapeutic companions. The puppy is the epitome of animal companionship as therapy because he’s always loyal, supportive, and unconditionally loving. For example, during the confrontation about the family meeting with Brenda, Sparrow calms Laura down: “[M]y heart’s still pounding […] // but then suddenly Sparrow is under the kitchen table, / head on my lap, eyes on mine, / and I take a deep breath and nod” (154). Whenever Laura has a bad day, he senses it and makes her laugh with his playfulness. In the pivotal scene when Laura kicks her backpack and takes her anger out on Sparrow, the dog hides from her—but then returns to her side in the night. These are a handful of numerous examples of Sparrow acting as the therapeutic companion for Laura. Through her tumultuous emotions or “scary” verbal attacks, he never lets Laura down. Sparrow is a source of healing, providing Laura with comfort, forgiveness, love, and serenity.
Sparrow’s influence extends to other characters, like Benson and Silvia. At the hospital, Sparrow provides Benson with friendship and joy:
And looking at Benson and Sparrow
and how happy Benson looks
makes my own mouth arch up
into a giant grin (123).
Benson’s sickle cell disease is a chronic condition for him to bear, but with the help of dogs like Sparrow, he can persist. With Silvia, Sparrow takes more time and effort to earn her love. Initially, Silvia barely tolerates Sparrow’s peeing in the house or eating her shoes—but the dog grows on her. Through consistent affection, Sparrow becomes a beloved companion to Silvia too, as shown when she lets Sparrow finally lick her. Silvia also recognizes the positive, therapeutic effect Sparrow has on Laura and accepts him as family.
Other dogs, like Zelda, are also representative of this theme. Benson’s attachment to Zelda shows the healing power of animal companionship: “Benson shrugs and says it might sound silly, / but honestly / the worst part of being in the hospital? / Is being away from Zelda, his pug” (109). Benson missing Zelda the most proves she is a great consoler. Since Zelda already passed her certification, she’s an exemplar of therapy dogs and a role model for Sparrow too. Later, during family therapy, the dog Ivan is curative. Without Dr. T.’s dog Ivan, Laura wouldn’t have opened up or answered the doctor’s questions: “Laura? / Dr. Tash asks softly, / but I look at Ivan instead of them. // No, she’s never said that, / I admit. / But then why did she only show up / after my parents had left?” (213). She answers Dr. T.’s questions only because Ivan makes her feel safer and braver. Overall, the story’s three dogs—Sparrow, Zelda, and Ivan—all provide happiness and healing to humans.
The Search for Identity
In a period of change, Laura must discover and redefine herself. Struggling between her past and present, she searches for identity:
If home is in Crenwood
and I’m in Stonecreek
and my parents are at rehab
how can I possibly be
the real Laura
if I’m divided
three different ways? (44).
Laura doesn’t feel like she belongs in any one place, which shifts her self-awareness. The trauma of her parents’ absence and her displacement causes her to feel fragmented. Due to her life-changing event, Laura hardly knows how to act or who she truly is. She’s unable to reconcile her current self with her past self:
The thing none of these adults understand
is that it’s not that easy to just belong somewhere,
not that easy to switch lives.
I’m not myself in my aunt’s apartment
and I’m not myself at school,
but it’s not like I can […] turn back the clock
to be the me before everything got swirly,
to be the old
Laura Rodríguez Colón (44).
Even though she’s exposed to various places and people, Laura can’t accept her new life or how she fits into it, which leaves her feeling lost.
However, as the plot continues, Laura learns about her Spanish roots and forges a new identity. Silvia influences Laura to view herself as a proud Puerto Rican:
You look Puerto Rican,
she loves to tell me.
Don’t you wanna sound
Puerto Rican too?
And I just shrug because what else can I say? (34).
Silvia continues speaking Spanish with Laura, highlights Spanish customs, and tells her stories about the island. By giving Laura background on her mom—including her bisexual identity—and their family memories, Silvia helps Laura understand her heritage and consider visiting Puerto Rico. This new understanding helps Laura rebuild her sense of self, clarify why her extended family isn’t close, and foster empathy for her Mom’s harsh past.
Self-discovery is a long process for Laura. Often, she struggles with emotional upheaval and relies heavily on Sparrow as her therapy dog. She also discovers and employs healthy coping mechanisms, like writing letters, befriending Benson, and training Sparrow. Family therapy also allows her and Silvia to become better communicators. By the novel’s culmination, Laura redefines her new identity as a proud dog owner, friend, niece, and Puerto Rican. Laura no longer fears change or feels split apart by her trauma and circumstances. Instead, she fulfills this theme by becoming her improved self, a girl who can evolve and handle unexpected challenges.
