A gorgeously written, hopeful middle grade novel in verse about a
young girl who must leave Syria to move to the United States, perfect
for fans of Jason Reynolds and Aisha Saeed.
Jude never thought she’d be leaving her beloved older brother and
father behind, all the way across the ocean in Syria. But when things
in her hometown start becoming volatile, Jude and her mother are sent
to live in Cincinnati with relatives.
At first, everything
in America seems too fast and too loud. The American movies that Jude
has always loved haven’t quite prepared her for starting school in
the US—and her new label of “Middle Eastern,” an identity she’s
never known before.
But this life also
brings unexpected surprises—there are new friends, a whole new
family, and a school musical that Jude might just try out for. Maybe
America, too, is a place where Jude can be seen as she really is.
This lyrical,
life-affirming story is about losing and finding home and, most
importantly, finding yourself.