91 pages • 3 hours read
Caitlin Alifirenka, Liz Welch, Martin GandaA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Summary
“Caitlin: September 1997”-“Martin: November 1997”
“Caitlin: January 1998”-“Caitlin: May 1998”
“Martin: June 1998”-“Martin: October 1998”
“Caitlin: December 1998”-“Martin: April 1999”
“Caitlin: May 1999”-“Caitlin: June 1999”
“Martin: June 1999”-“Caitlin: December 1999”
“Martin: January 2000”-“Caitlin: February 2000”
“Martin: February 2000”-“Caitlin: September 2000”
“Martin: November 2000”-“Caitlin: December 2000”
“Martin: January 2001”-“Martin: April 2001”
“Caitlin: April 2001”-“Martin: July 2001”
“Caitlin: September 2001”-“Martin: June 2002”
“Caitlin: August 2002”-“Martin: September 2002”
“Caitlin: October 2002”-“Martin: December 2002”
“Caitlin: January 2003”-“Martin: April 2003”
“Caitlin: April 2003”-“Caitlin: July 2003”
“Martin–July 2003”-“Martin–August 14, 2003”
“Caitlin: August 15, 2003”-“Caitlin: October 2015”
Key Figures
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Caitlin Alifirenka is in her seventh-grade English class when her teacher, Mrs. Miller, announces that everyone will be writing to a pen pal from another country. While other students choose pen pals in Europe, Caitlin is the only one to choose Zimbabwe, as it is a country wholly unfamiliar to her. When she arrives home from school, her mother informs her that Zimbabwe used to be called Rhodesia. The name of the country changed due to colonialism, which Caitlin’s mother describes as “when powerful countries take over other countries and call them their territories” (9). Caitlin’s mother compares what happened to Zimbabwe to the United States, which used to be colonies of Great Britain.
Caitlin has a hard time understanding the connection between the United States and Zimbabwe in terms of colonialism, so she conducts some research on the internet. She learns that there are two main ethnic groups in Zimbabwe, the Shona and the Ndebele. While Shona is the national language, most of the country speaks English due to Zimbabwe’s colonization by the United Kingdom. With this information in mind, Caitlin begins her letter to her pen pal in Zimbabwe. She describes herself, her family, and what she likes to do for fun.