52 pages 1 hour read

Restore Me

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2018

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Background

Authorial Context: Tahereh Mafi

Tahereh Mafi is an American author known for young adult (YA) and middle grade books. Mafi is the child of Iranian immigrants; she has discussed in interviews how this history, as well as her identity as a Muslim woman, affect her writing (Nordstrom, Leigh. “Tahereh Mafi Writes of Being a Muslim Woman in Post 9/11 America.” WWD, 19 Aug. 2021). Mafi also writes about how wearing a hijab makes her feel empowered: “For me, a hijab […] feels like a kind of armor I wear when I face the world and it makes me feel good about myself, and it makes me feel strong, and I like the way I feel when I wear it” (“YA Author Tahereh Mafi Explains Why She Views Fashion as Armor.” The Zoe Report, 5 Feb. 2019). This discussion of how her hijab feels like an element of personal expression parallels Restore Me. The character Nazeera speaks about her choice to wear a headscarf despite prohibitions by The Reestablishment against religion.