“I cover my head not because I am ashamed, forced, or hiding. But because I am proud and want to seen as I am.”

This book is a great example of why I love YA lit as well as novels written in verse!

Other Words for Home is a story told in six parts, as we see the character move through the spectrum of Changing, Arriving, Staying, Hoping, Growing, and Living. Jude is a 7th grader who has recently immigrated from Syria to America with her mother, and it's both heartbreaking and eye-opening seeing the world from her perspective. Seeing how she feels about the father and brother she's left behind, how she feels about her American family she is meeting for the first time, and how she feels about struggling to find her identity as a young women but also as a Muslim living in America. Jude's story made me feel the full range of emotions - from joy to hurt to anger to peace - and I loved every page of it.

The writing is easy to read and imagine what's happening, but in its simplicity hides deep complexity and significant insight. Many of Jude's brief observations about people and the world around her gave me pause as I considered the powerful truths contained therein. These nuggets of wisdom are scattered throughout a story that is compelling and engaging. I also appreciate that the author blends in a mix of Arabic words, phrases, and proverbs, and I also appreciate the glossary at the back of the book to help me understand said words.

Though it's ostensibly geared towards a younger audience, Other Words for Home is absolutely a book worth diving into for readers of all ages!