The novel Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga documents the life of Jude, a Syrian refugee that moves to Cincinnati, Ohio at the start of the Syrian War, leaving all that she knows behind. As Jude slowly adjusts to her new home, her surroundings and American culture as a whole, become more familiar. Upon moving, she deeply misses her family and friends in her war-torn coastal hometown in Syria. Jude meets many new people and learns many profound lessons through her experience moving to America as a Muslim refugee. I feel that this novel gives readers a clear depiction of an immigrant or refugee experience moving to America. Within the book, Jude faces discrimination because of her religion, struggles learning English and ultimately feels out of place. Since this book is written in first person, readers are able to learn, on a personal level, about the experience of one of millions that have gone through something similar to Jude. It was interesting for me to learn about life in Syria before the war broke out and also how it deeply affected the lives of the people living there. I also enjoyed that the book was written in a free-verse poetry style, similar to Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson. The rich figurative language and detailed description within Warga’s writing helps readers to truly know how Jude felt throughout every given moment in the novel. The following quote demonstrates this: “Sometimes it feels like when I boarded that plane to fly to America I left my heart behind, beating and lonely on the other side of the ocean,” (78). Other Words for Home is a story of immigration and assimilating into a society so much different than what one is used to. Jude learns to adjust to her new surroundings, while still honoring the life (including tradition, religion and family) she left behind in Syria. At certain points, Jude feels like an outsider, like she doesn’t belong. This novel can teach readers that one can always get through a hard time, no matter the circumstances and know that it will get better. Jude exemplifies bravery and courage as she endures many difficult moments in her life in America. She experiences highs and lows, but ultimately comes out of every situation a changed and wiser person. Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga. Balzer + Bray, 2019. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process! Have you read this book? Or do you plan on reading it? Let us know in the comments below!
Harbor Me, Reviewed by Sascha, 13
In the novel Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson, six kids from Ms. Laverne’s class (Haley, Amari, Tiago, Ashton, Esteban and Holly) must meet every Friday of the year to talk – alone, with no adults in the room. They choose to name this special room, the ARTT Room (an acronym for “A Room To Talk”). With the ARTT room, they now have a safe space in which they are free to talk to each other about what’s bothering them, free from judgement. Whether it be Haley’s father in prison, Amari’s fears of racial profiling, Esteban’s father’s deportation, or Ashton adjusting to his family’s new financial situation, the six of them know they can count on each other to listen. They can talk about things they usually wouldn’t talk about: their feelings, fears and thoughts. Haley, Amari, Tiago, Ashton, Esteban and Holly all learn that they have the ability to express their emotions freely and ultimately grow braver. The unfamiliarity of the ARTT Room eventually becomes a place that they now look forward to going to every week. This novel is written in first person, from the perspective of the main character, Haley. What I liked about this, is that readers are able to hear how she, in particular, is feeling during a specific time. This allows the reader to understand the evolution and growth of the character (in this case, Haley), as the book progresses. Haley was an extremely influential character in the book, and hearing from her point of view, helps readers to grasp a better understanding of the story. Another aspect of this novel that I enjoyed was that it is a book that doesn’t require much focus. There isn’t much of a plot, and certain parts weren’t very structured throughout the novel. The book lacked most of the traditional elements of a story, such as, a climax or a main problem. The constant use of imagery within Jacqueline Woodson’s writing, helps readers to visualize what is happening in the book and guides them through the story. Woodson’s style of writing engages all five senses, while also directing readers to gain deeper insight of what is going on in the novel. This shows the reader what is taking place in the story, rather than directly telling them.I gravitated towards this book because I was able to learn about other people who are unlike myself and their personal struggles. While the students were talking to each other, they spoke about issues that many kids all over America have to deal with on a regular basis. I learned about things that many kids my age worry about, that I wasn’t aware of before reading this book. Through hearing about the students’ problems and concerns, it opened my eyes to how real problems in America can affect children personally. For example, Esteban’s father’s deportation caused him and his family a lot of stress and anxiety. Undocumented immigrants are clearly a source of controversy among Americans, and it was interesting to see how people are affected by this problem. Readers are able to educate themselves on cultural issues in America and what difficulties this can cause children. After reading Harbor Me, one can learn that it is crucial for children to express their emotions. Furthermore, having trustworthy people around to advice and support them through difficult times, is important in order to overall better themselves and achieve successful relationships. Presuming that the students in Ms. Laverne’s class hadn’t opened up to each other and expressed how they were feeling, they might have struggled to cope with the challenges that they faced. This book discusses a wide array of themes, such as, privilege, race, self expression, loss, identity, friendship, culture, and more. Overall, I would unquestionably recommend this novel to anyone that is interested in gaining a higher perspective of people from different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson. Penguin Random House, 2018. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process! Have you read this book? Or do you plan on reading it? Let us know in the comments below!
