Other Words from Home Review

Other Words from Home

Written by Jasmine Warga

Bibliography

Warga, J. (2019). Other words from home. Balzer + Bray an imprint of HarperCollins.

ISBN 9780062869395

Summary

Other Words from Home is a sweet coming of age historical fiction story about a Syrian girl, Jude, who leaves her home country of Syria to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousin in Michigan. She has come to America with her mother because her mother is pregnant and unsure about their continued safety in Syria which is in the midst of a devastating civil war. Jude is a confident, outspoken girl who has been silenced by the people and circumstances around her. Her father, out of an abundance of caution for her safety, frequently tells her, "'Jude, skety [be quiet],'/ and so I bite my tongue and it sometimes tastes/ even worse/ than the way the summer fish smell" (4). When Jude decides to try out for the school production of Beauty and the Beast, her Arabic American friend Layla tries to convince her to work in production because "Those parts aren't for girls like us./... We're the type of girls that design the sets,/ that stay backstage./ We're not the girls who/ glow in the spotlight" (205). Jude keeps quiet when when people tell her "To go back home" after a terrorist attack. She keeps quiet when she can't find the English words to communicate. Little by little, Jude learns to trust herself and make her voice heard, "I squint a little,/ but then I adjust to the spotlight" (332).

Analysis

Jasmine Warga writes relatable, multi-dimensional characters in this lyrical historical fiction. Jude is vulnerable, "I am learning to be happy and sad at the same time" (49). Like most girls her age, she doesn't understand the complicated political situation her older brother, mother, father, and country are facing. She only understands the fear and uncertainty that pervades. However, she is willing and does learn more about her country's reality, "Syria wasn't always like it is now,/ and it won't always be like that either" (271). Jude wants to be seen, not fade into the background. Readers will relate to her sweet crush, her growing confidence, and her struggles. This book succeeds as historical fiction, because I researched more about the Syrian crisis while reading it.

There are some beautiful figurative language in this novel-in-verse. Jude is unsure of her uncle's big, old house, "But one morning,/ when I wake up,/ the floor creaks/ and it sounds like the house is saying/ hello/ and that makes me feel less alone" (74). That perfectly conveys the feeling of old-house sounds. It also poignantly shows Jude's loneliness after her move. Jude's friend Layla speaks Arabic, but Jude says, "I can tell she is a native English speaker,/ by the shape of her mouth,/ and the way the words slide out/ unbent by the athletic tongue of someone/ who was born speaking Arabic" (137). It is a good descriptor of a non-native speaking a foreign language. On describing her mother's sense of humor, Jude uses this simile, "But Mama's funny is more like a cat,/ slinking around,/ hiding out in corners,/ brushing up on you by surprise" (183).

Highlighted Poem

I chose this section because it perfectly describes my friends and loved ones. It warms my heart. Jude says it after her ESL teacher Mrs. Ravenswood sees Jude in her new head-covering for the first time and tells her she looks nice. This is how Jude sums up her feelings about Mrs. Ravenswood (238).

There is an Arabic proverb that says:

She makes you feel

like a loaf of freshly baked bread.

It is said about

the nicest

kindest

people.

The type of people

who help you

rise.

Use

Students will research other Arabic proverbs. Then will write a little poem explaining what it means to them (like the Highlighted Poem).