HAYWIRE Issue 2 Fall 2013
CRITICALESSAYS
Drawing by Olivia Albrecht, 11th grade
Who Am I Really?
A Girl’s Journey to Find Her Family and Identity
By Anna Weinrautner, 7th grade
The adolescent quest for
understanding leaves its marks on
Nhamo as she struggles against
loneliness while trying to find her
true identity. In Nancy Farmer’s
1996 novel called A Girl Named
Disaster Nhamo goes on a year-long
journey to find her long-lost father,
and reunite herself with her family.
While traveling from Mozambique
to Zimbabwe she finds herself
amazed by the rapid change of
scenery. In Nhamo’s arduous
journey she feels the lonely
sickness, a gut-wrenching feeling,
but she must stay strong if she ever
wants to see her father again.
Although Nhamo’s loneliness
seems unbearable it leads her to
discovering her true identity, which
is not a Shona princess, but rather a
blend of her own ancient culture and
th