Jude

Jude is a young girl living in Syria with her parents and older brother, Issa. When war comes to Syria, she and he mother must move to the United States without Baba and Issa, causing a fracture in Jude’s life. When Jude arrives in the U.S., she is nervous about her English and she struggles to connect with her cousin, Sarah, and fit in in her new environment. Jude feels crippling loneliness and desire to return back home coupled with worry for her brother and fear that her home will never be the way she left it again.

As the novel progresses, Jude grows more and more outgoing and wants to connect with her classmates. She excels in her ESL lessons and begins to make more friends, even trying out for the school play. She practices her singing and monologue tirelessly, getting cast in the play...