Other Words for Home

 Other Words for Home

By Jasmine Warga

This novel-in-verse tells the story of two Syrians, Jude and her mother, who are forced to flee their homes at

the outbreak of the conflict there and make their way to Cincinnati to live with relatives. The story itself follows a fairly predictable story line that is quite similar to Inside Out and Back Again. At first, Jude finds it hard to fit into the US, where she faces suspicion and outright hostility -- especially after she decides to wear the hijab. But little by little, she gains acceptance from others and herself. It ends with her in the spotlight of a school play,  symbol of Jude reconnecting with that part of herself that craved to be seen and heard, which came naturally in Syria but was march harder in the US.

Despite the similarities between the two books, this still feels like an important story. Maybe even more important because of the two similarities. My students, for example, attributed the discrimination Ha faced in IOBA to a specific time and place. But, turns out, modern-day Cincinnati isn't all that different than 1970s Alabama on that front. It would be interesting to have students read the two books to compare and contrast.

I have mixed feelings about novels in verse. When I began reading, it struck me that it is, in a sense, just lazy. But as I finished the book, I was struck by how much the character had come alive in my mind. With so few words, my imagination had to work overtime and fill in the gaps left unspoken. But maybe this is a case of less is more. I do wonder about the author's process. Had she always planned to use poetry? Or was this a second choice? And why are such novels so appealing right now?