Harbor Me

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2018

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-6

Chapters 7-11

Chapters 12-17

Chapters 18-23

Chapters 24-30

Chapters 31-34

Chapters 35-40

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Themes

Maturation and Childhood

The action of Harbor Me takes place over the course of just one academic year, but it is a year of fundamental changes in the lives of the six children in the ARTT group. In the next-to-last chapter, the group members have fun reminiscing about how awkward and scared they seemed at the beginning of the year in comparison to the end. This reflection evokes a typical, accepted part of the passage of time.

Likewise, many of the other changes that the children face touch on typical aspects of the transition from childhood to adolescence. Amari seeks to prove he is becoming a man, for instance, by insisting that his voice is “getting deep” (63). Similarly, Haley reflects on how she has outgrown her purple unicorn comforter that she once begged for but now seems “silly and childish” (32). These thoughts convey Harbor Me’s insight into what it is like to grow from childhood into adolescence.

At the same time, the novel stresses that the ARTT group members are undergoing changes that are less typical and more unique. For instance, a few of Haley’s issues include her father’s impending parole, his return home, and the revelation that her family is financially well-off. Likewise, Esteban faces a life turned upside down when immigration officials detain his father. For his part, Amari realizes that the passage into adolescence means not only that he will not be allowed to play with certain childish toys, but also that the threat of racial discrimination will become even more pressing. The children face these changes with sophistication, including Haley’s willingness to accept and forgive her father, Esteban’s courage and strength in the face of his family’s upheaval, and Amari’s readiness to protest racial injustice.

Discovering a Sense of Belonging

Each member of the ARTT group has special learning needs, and Haley notes the way they are referred to as "special kids" (5). Haley, Holly, Esteban, Amari, Tiago, and Ashton are all taken out of mainstream classrooms and put into a small, focused room with Ms. Laverne. The children in the group are quite literally set apart from the norm and struggle with finding their place among their peers.

The challenges of finding a sense of belonging are deepened by the personal struggles that each member of the ARTT group faces. For instance, Haley has lost her mother and is initially afraid of sharing the truth that her father is in prison. Moreover, she is aware of how her diverse racial identity sets her apart. Esteban is the child of undocumented immigrants, and he struggles after immigration officials detain his father. This disrupts his family life and causes associated problems, such as tiredness and increased poverty. Ashton faces significant family changes after his father loses his job; plus, Ashton is bullied for having very light skin and being one of the few White children in his school. Tiago and his family are taunted for speaking Spanish in public and are told to “[g]o back to your country” (127), even though they are from Puerto Rico, which is an American territory. Amari is burdened by the presence of racial discrimination in the United States. Even Holly, who is typically outgoing and energetic, is conscious of how her hyperactivity sets her apart. Each child has a unique set of issues that differentiates them from others.

Taken individually, these issues could be isolating. Spurred by Ms. Laverne, however, the six children build a strong bond that provides support and encouragement. This is evidenced throughout the novel, such as when Esteban tells Haley that her story gives him strength and recalls “that thing Ms. Laverne said about how we have to harbor each other” (157). The sense of belonging that the ARTT group provides spreads outwards in Haley's case, encouraging her to find her place within the world beyond her friends. At the start of the novel, she is keenly aware that her family situation does not fit the supposed norm. She is particularly unsure of how to bond with her father, who has been imprisoned since she was three years old. By the end of the novel, however, the support of friends like Holly helps her find a way to connect with her father. In the final chapter, she is literally connected to him, resting her “head against his arm” (157) as he plays the piano, physically signaling their reunion.

Storytelling and Personal Identity

The thread of storytelling weaves in and out of Harbor Me, often centered on Haley and her perceptions of the world. Initially, Haley is uncertain of why she is compelled to begin collecting stories. She vaguely tells her uncle she needs a voice recorder for a school project, stating, “I just want to record stuff […] and I want to see what it becomes” (31). Her first role is that of collector and curator, rather than contributor. During ARTT meetings, she records stories from Amari, Ashton, Tiago, and Esteban, holding back from telling her own. She singles out Esteban’s storytelling for praise, saying, “When you talk, […] it’s like I can see everything you say. Your words draw pictures for me” (48). Haley’s praise indicates her appreciation for vivid, truthful, honest storytelling. In the light of this praise, however, her avoidance of sharing her own story is all the more noticeable to readers.

Over the course of the novel, Haley’s understanding of stories deepens. The lesson about the Lenape people’s homeland in the New York area prior to European settlers teaches her that the world is “a story on top of a story” (32). All that she sees is just one layer in a long history of stories. Haley begins to realize that stories, even personal ones, are not just about things that happen to individuals. Instead, stories reveal details about the world that might otherwise be overlooked. For instance, Harbor Me reveals that Holly’s mom, Kira, knew Haley’s mom before Holly and Haley ever met. In addition to a striking coincidence, the revelation also gives Haley insight on what her mom was like.

The variety of stories around Haley gives her the courage to share her own story with the ARTT group and reveal the fullness of her identity. She is relieved to see that revealing the truth does not cause her friends to turn against her. Instead, after telling the others about her father and mother, Haley feels “so much love” encapsulated “in the words” Amari and others use in response (152). Presenting her story gives Haley a way to define and process what she has gone through and is going through. When she is reunited with her father after he is released from prison, Haley realizes that it would be far too simple to say that all loose ends of her story have been tied, and that it is over. Instead, she observes that the close of the school year and her reunion with her father marks the end of one of many stories, as well as a beginning. By the end of Harbor Me, Haley has been deeply impacted by the stories of her father, Esteban, and others. With maturity, she realizes that not all stories end happily or have closure, and even challenging stories can become a positive part of what builds a person’s identity.