First published 2021
Jude has never imagined leaving her father and older brother behind in Syria. When violence threatens her hometown, she and her mother fly across the ocean to live with relatives in Cincinnati. America moves too quickly and sounds too loud. The American films Jude loved back home didn't prepare her for navigating a new school where classmates see her as "Middle Eastern," a label that feels foreign to her own sense of self. Everything feels wrong at first. But Cincinnati also offers unexpected gifts. Jude discovers new friendships and connects with extended family she barely knew. When her school announces auditions for the musical, Jude considers trying out. Slowly, she begins to wonder if America might become a place where people can see who she truly is. This novel in verse follows one girl's journey between two worlds as she learns that home can be lost and found again.
Genres: fiction, family-life, contemporary, young-adult
Vibes: emotional, intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Cincinnati, Syria
Period: 21st-century
368 pages · Paperback · Storytide