The Language of Baklava

Bud announces that the family is going back to Jordan and then leaves to set things up there; meanwhile, the rest of the family sells the house, sends their belongings ahead, and says goodbye. Diana has settled back into America and now, at the age of 12, reflects: “That fiery reentry comes back to me, the memory of having to re-create myself at seven, at nine, and now again” (135). The friends she has fought to make at school give her an emotional send-off. Diana is silent in response to her father’s encouragement that she will meet her Jordanian friends again and eat fresh bread. The recipe for “Lost Childhood Pita Bread” follows his exhortations (136). As the date of departure gets close, Diana shuts down physically and emotionally, dreading the move and desperate to stay with Mrs. Manarelli. Two days before they are due to leave, a telegram from Bud announces, “SENDING BACK TICKETS COMING HOME” (138). Diana is immensely relieved.

The family finds temporary accommodation in an arty bohemian house; Diana loves the décor, but Bud cannot easily cook. They drive around the suburbs endlessly, looking for a new home. Diana feels rootless, having no school or house; her parents do not have work.