Seeking home in a strange land

Here is an exploration, unlike any before, of the fascinating, often poignant tension between the changing meanings of home and the experience of being the stranger in place and time amidst an era of runaway change. Individuals share their intimate stories of family and struggle, and through those personal narratives come insights about the global phenomena of migration and mobility, as whole populations cross borders and oceans in their desperate search for that safe, comfortable abode that seems just beyond "not yet from here, no longer from there". This unique Dutch-American collaboration presents nine essays and five portraits by accomplished authors and scholars who anchor their observations in relevant academic research. They share quests across miles and generations that have led them not only to new places but also to contemplation and humility, religious doubt and spiritual openness, and a sense of nimble relativity in expectations for their personal lives and professional careers. Their stories point toward the essential meaning of identity in ways that help us face the question of who among us is entitled to declare that we are home.