Immigrant trauma

Batuman explores the trauma that often comes with leaving one’s home through the conversations Selin has with two characters: her mother, Nurhat, and her best friend, Svetlana. These interactions shape Selin’s understanding of her own immigration-related trauma. Batuman presents these different characters to illustrate healthy, unhealthy, and realistic means of coping with this experience.

First, Svetlana immerses herself in distinctly American experiences—like being a leader at a summer camp—to distract herself from her PTSD. Svetlana was living in Belgrade during the Yugoslav Wars and spent a great deal of time in bomb shelters. Generally, she uses humor to cope with her difficult memories. Svetlana does not let her trauma define her, but rather opens herself up to everything America has to offer her, from new friends to a rewarding education.

Second, Nurhat projects her own immigrant trauma onto her daughter through...