Other Words for Home

Jude’s mother is both brave and trusting. Early in the novel, she is faced with the difficult choice between staying near Issa in Syria and traveling to an unknown land to protect her unborn baby and Jude. Mama chooses the latter but initially struggles with the implications of her decision. She is especially frustrated with her brother Mazin’s choices, such as his Americanized home furnishings and his lack of attendance at mosque services; to Mama, Mazin embodies the full break with one’s heritage and homeland that she fears will happen to her as well. However, Mama shows strength and resiliency as her pregnancy continues and as she watches Jude’s growth in America. Mama finds a mosque, takes English classes, and initiates a benefit to aid Layla’s family when their restaurant is vandalized. These changes show that Mama is a dynamic character. While occasionally Jude seems to know things Mama does not, Mama consistently demonstrates wisdom and complexity; thus, she serves as a Mentor archetype to her children.

Baba earns money for his family by running a convenience-style shop catering to tourists. Baba must stay behind to protect his store when Mama and Jude go to America. He is a strong and capable father figure to Jude, but he shows his frustration and anger when he and Issa disagree politically. Baba is present only via computer video calls once Jude arrives in America. He meets his new baby daughter Amal this way.

Jude calls Issa her favorite person in the world, so when she must say goodbye to him, it is painful and sad. He is idealistic and selfless in his commitment to securing a better future for his country (his name, the Arabic form of “Jesus,” is perhaps a nod to these qualities). These aspirations eventually cause him to leave home to travel toward Aleppo, where the fighting and rebellion are worse. His whereabouts are unknown for most of Jude’s time in America. She remembers his wonderful smile and loving personality; when she chooses a song for musical auditions, she picks one that Issa used to sing. Issa is a static character, as his views do not change; he remains steady in his cause despite the worries and requests of his parents.

Layla is an eighth-grade girl whose parents own and operate the Middle Eastern restaurant Ali Baba on Lincoln Avenue. Jude meets Layla one day when she ventures into Ali Baba; Layla brings Jude many snacks that remind Jude of home. Though Layla is American, those who are unaccepting of her appearance and ethnicity assume that she emigrated to the United States. Jude is surprised at this unfairness and tries to make Layla feel loved.

Uncle Mazin is Mama’s brother. He is a successful doctor who enjoys good-looking suits and electronics. Uncle Mazin tries to make Jude feel welcome and wanted in America, though he also lets her know that others’ acceptance of her will take time. Aunt Michelle is American with a background in French literature. She is fun, fair, strict, and genuinely happy that Mama and Jude have come to stay. Both Mazin and Michelle change subtly as a result of their relatives’ stay, with Mazin learning to embrace his Syrian heritage more and Michelle confronting her preconceived ideas about cultural differences like veiling.

Sarah is the daughter of Aunt Michelle and Uncle Mazin. Initially she does not seem to enjoy Jude’s presence; she is offended, for example, when Jude starts the year at her school, and she shows jealousy when Uncle Mazin takes Jude out to dinner. She also calls Layla “weird” and assumes that she is an immigrant. By the end of the novel, Sarah has changed for the better; she shows kindness to Layla and bonds with Jude over Amal, symbolically recognizing their shared Middle Eastern heritage. Because of this character arc, Sarah is a dynamic character.