Other Words for Home // a book pairing
“Hoping, I’m starting to think, might be the bravest thing a person can do.”
Rachael Morales is not a robot—she’s a novel-writing, perfectionism-battling mother to five. Join her in the pursuit of curiosity and kindness via Substack, or Instagram (if you prefer more pictures of cats).
Thank you, Rachael, for sharing your pick, Other Words for Home, with us this week!
Our suburban American home is two stories and gray. There’s the peaceful and inspiring bathroom door, lately painted a breathtaking teal. And there’s the concoction the girls just made – some inscrutable combination of flax, oatmeal, and…sprinkles? Home can be both a refuge and a place I want to escape. A center of painful rupture and of tearful repair. A collection of dishes, blankets, cats, and leftover jelly beans sprinkled among the seven of us all growing up under one roof.
But home is something inside me too. The feeling when my husband holds me close. The settledness of sipping a perfectly sweetened latte. The peace of closing my eyes, tilting back my head, and soaking in the sunshine.
That’s exactly what I love about Other Words for Home, a middle-grade fiction tale written in verse. Jude finds home in both Syria and America. With both her native culture and this new, strange place. While she lives through fear, joy, curiosity, and pain, she continues to marvel at the language of home. How a simple word can be so complicated and so beautiful.
For thinkers, wordsmiths, and dreamers—
For fiction-lovers who “don’t do poetry”—
For anyone looking for the beauty within—
I love this book. It’s one I read again and again.
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
To spend a day with Jude, first follow your nose to the Syrian seaside. Then add the sugary warmth of Aunty Michelle’s French blueberry muffins.
Just like Issa, Fatima, and Jude, enjoy a dance-party break to Whitney Houson’s “I Will Always Love You,” and don’t forget to bring your pretend microphone!
As you near the afternoon, brew mint tea and let your homemade pita bread rise. Serve it warm from the skillet, like Mama would, with a lovely cheese (fresh mozzarella should do).
Go ahead and clean up the kitchen because you’ll order out for dinner. Jude and Miles recommend your favorite cheese pizza. Wind down with a cozy viewing of Notting Hill — or treat your family to Beauty and the Beast, and keep your eye out for the feather duster!
Quotes:
“Mama hugs me and I hold her back. Sometimes all you can do is hold on.”
“Americans love labels. They help them know what to expect. Sometimes, though, I think labels stop them from thinking.”
“Hoping, I’m starting to think, might be the bravest thing a person can do.”
“Sometimes talking to Mama reminds me of a feather duster brushing dirt away from a mirror. She doesn't give you anything new, but she helps you better see what is already there.”
I loved this book, too!
I hadn't heard of this book! this was a fun read, ladies!