Change is an important aspect of The Red Pencil, as the novel features characters setting out on a journey—including protagonist Amira’s metaphorical one. Amira’s journey is catalyzed by change and sees tremendous resilience and growth by the end.

The story begins on Amira’s 12th birthday which, besides marking growth, also specifically points to change: Amira is now old enough to wear a toob and is considered almost an adult in the eyes of her family. She is thrilled about the former and ambivalent about the latter—as adulthood brings an increased share of domestic chores. It also brings conversations with each of her parents, who introduce her to the decidedly adult concepts of persecution, genocide, and war. The novel takes place in 2003, and Amira’s foray into young adulthood coincides with the escalation of the Janjaweed conflict in Darfur; she is old enough to be explicitly told about the war, though still grapples with making sense of the gravity of the situation.

When Amira’s village is raided by the Janjaweed, her world is turned upside down: Her beloved father and sheep are dead, her home is destroyed, and she must flee, alongside her remaining family and village, to seek asylum elsewhere.