“Other Words for Home” by Jasmine Warga.
Harper and Collins Publishers, New York, 2019, 342 pages, Grades 4-7.
We live in a time of great turmoil. Many things have contributed to these problems, but the direct consequences are easy to see. Throughout the Mideast, for example, numerous countries have been engaged in violent wars. Many countries, including the United States, have been involved in Mideast military battles. But since many of these conflicts are turning into civil and religious wars, the lines are increasingly blurred. Sides change and former allies start warring against each other.
The resulting destruction creates a chaotic problem for civilians. Should they join one of the sides in battle? Should they try to immigrate and escape the civil wars? Jasmine Warga’s book, “Other Words for Home,” tries to answer some of these questions. We see one family making a number of choices that will become life-altering. There are no easy answers.
Jude is a 12-year-old girl living in a seaside town in Syria. Her family is middle class and she is surrounded by love. Her older brother Issa becomes involved in the developing revolution in Syria. The Assad family has ruled Syria for decades and is beginning to be challenged by university students aware of the injustices within the Assad-ruled nation.
These confrontations quickly lead to a full-scale revolt. The government orders military attacks on the protesters. Soon everyone is forced to take sides: do you support the government or the opposition? The choice is dangerous because those opposing your decision may assault you.
To save his wife and daughter from the disaster, Jude’s father sends them to his brother-in-law in Cincinnati. Though Jude has studied English, the customs in the United States befuddle her. Her uncle is a rich physician and is married to a sophisticated American. Jude’s 13-year-old cousin likes posh things and doesn’t understand her cousin’s old-world ways. Jude becomes bewildered as she tries to learn English and fit into American society, while still missing Syria and the Arabic language.
There is also the constant panic that her brother will be captured and executed by the government forces. While all this is going on, her body changes. After her first period, Jude’s mother folds the beautiful scarf known as the hijab and places it on her head. Jude is now considered a woman by Syrian standards, but in America she is still a teenager.
Additionally, the hijab arouses anger with some people in town and causes embarrassment for her cousin, who thinks Jude will never fit into America if she wears such backward clothing. Conflicted by both cultures, Jude has to develop courage to survive. This all comes to a head when she tries out for a school play. What does Jude do?
How does Jude overcome her fears? Is it possible to take the best from two worlds? Why can life be enriched by two worlds and two languages? How does Jude learn to stand up for herself and discover the power and joy of being a Syrian-American? To find out, go to the library and read this touching account of one girl’s struggle to leave a war-torn country and find a new life in the United States.
Jasmine Warga is becoming a powerful voice for immigrants coming to the United States. The title of this fine book, “Other Words for Home,” indicates the possibilities of creating a new home in the United States while still drawing from the beauty of the original country. This is a timely book given complicated issues involved with immigration today. It is important to remember that the United States was built on the dreams and hard work of immigrants. Jasmine Warga shows a way to do that. Great read!
