Home and identity are challenging words to define. Many fields such as psychology, sociology, philosophy, history, literature, and political science have tried to provide an understanding of these two words. This paper is an attempt to examine these two concepts in addition to applying Eugenia Scabini and Claudia Manzi’s concept of ‘family identity’ to Keija Parssinen’s The Ruins of Us (2012). Parssinen is a third-generation expatriate who was born in Saudi Arabia. Her novel is about an American woman, Rosalie, who has decided to give up her life in America and marry a Saudi man, Abdullah, and move to Saudi Arabia as an attempt to belong. They enjoy a happy life for many years, despite cultural differences, and have two children, Faisal and Mariam. Suddenly, the idea of a cozy home is shattered as Abdullah takes a second wife. The disintegration of this family influences its identity development.
Keywords: Home, Identity, family identity, identity development
