A Place at the Table

Elizabeth and her mom pick up pizza for their family on their way home. Her father surprises them when they arrive by being home earlier than expected. He carries the pizza into the house, and Elizabeth wants to pull out the prayer materials needed to bless the pizza. However, her mother has no interest in doing so. Her father insists they will not do it tonight and will go to services tomorrow. Elizabeth and her father attend Saturday service early the following day. Elizabeth enjoys the service and the time with her father. Afterward, she talks with Micah when their Hebrew school principal surprises her and asks where her mother is. Elizabeth does not answer before the principal reminds her that her family is responsible for the hospitality juice and cookies in a few weeks.

Elizabeth, her brother David, and their father take their dog out for a hike after service. Elizabeth remembers times when things were more manageable for herself and her family. When they arrive home, her mother announces that Aunt Louise is planning a girls’ trip. Elizabeth wants to go when her mom says the trip is to London. Her dad tells her to stay out of it and goes upstairs with Elizabeth’s mother to argue about the financial and logistical elements of the trip.

Elizabeth spends the next week trying to convince Maddy to remain in the cooking club; Maddy refuses because she does not want to make Pakistani food. Maddy arrives at the club on Friday and pairs with Stephanie rather than Elizabeth. Elizabeth confronts Maddy; Maddy replies that Elizabeth made a new friend, so why can’t she? After class, Mrs. Hameed tells the students about the school’s international festival, which the club has been invited to participate in. Sara offers to pair with Elizabeth for the festival’s cooking competition, but Elizabeth wants to check with Maddy. However, Maddy has already paired with Stephanie.

Sara wakes up on Saturday to her brothers playing Batman and Robin. She places headphones in her ears and listens to Selena Gomez while working on a concept sketch for her mother’s business. She is unsatisfied with what she has but is pleased to have an inspired start. She enters the kitchen and finds many half-cooked dishes everywhere, bills and paperwork filling up a lot of counter space. Mrs. Hameed is stressed after another lecture from Sara’s father about the importance of the citizenship test. Sara agrees to help her mother study one hour later after finishing the cooking and clean-up.

While they study, Sara quickly realizes how little her mother has studied. Mrs. Hameed does not know who signs national bills into law or how many members are in each part of Congress. Sara comments that she learned this in elementary school. Mrs. Hameed reminds Sara that she did not grow up in the US.

The following day, Sara asks her father if she can go to the mosque with him while he takes her brothers to Sunday school. She wants to see people she knows and misses, such as her best friend, Rabia. Rabia greets Sara gleefully and wants all the information about Sara’s new school and any friends she is making. They exit the building and sit on the swings, discussing how Sara’s former school feels different since Sara left. Sara shows Rabia the sketch she made the previous morning for her mom’s business; Rabia wants to see the finished product when Sara finishes.

Sara returns to her public school the next day and feels the contrast between her worlds. The public school feels louder and harsher than her private school and the mosque. She feels lonelier as she notices how few friends she has in her new school. She tries to wave to Elizabeth, but Elizabeth, who is talking to Maddy, does not see. While Sara examines a flyer for the international festival, Elizabeth appears behind her. The two discuss their frustration about their mothers not studying for the citizenship test. They agree to set the mothers up as study companions for the test.

Halloween approaches, and Elizabeth talks to Maddy about their costumes. Elizabeth offers options from Alice in Wonderland and uses the Red Queen to insult Maddy’s recent friendship. Maddy misses the insult and says Stephanie wants to host a charity event on Halloween and has asked Maddy to help. Elizabeth is hurt because Halloween is traditional for them, and she feels she is losing her best friend. She decides to see if Sara will trick-or-treat with her.

When Elizabeth talks to Sara about participating in trick-or-treating, Sara is offended because Muslims remain covered from sunup until sundown and do not engage in costumes for events like Halloween. Sara becomes cold toward Elizabeth for the remainder of the cooking class. After, Elizabeth leaves immediately after rather than remaining inside with Sara’s cold shoulder. Elizabeth takes her brother out trick-or-treating on Halloween, as neither of their best friends will accompany them.

Sara watches through the window as kids trick-or-treat, feeling excluded. She wishes to participate, but her parents’ religious beliefs forbid celebrating Halloween. She hears her parents arguing in the kitchen—Mrs. Hameed is struggling to keep up with loan payments, and Sara’s father is displeased.

That night, Sara works on her math homework at the kitchen table after peeking out the window a few more times. Her dad enters the kitchen to make his nightly cup of tea and offers her a cup before asking why she feels sad not participating in a holiday like Halloween. She explains how left out she feels and has few friends at her new school. Her father tells her a story from his childhood—how he snuck out to see a movie his father forbade him from seeing, and though he got away with it, the guilt remains with him. He assures Sara she is a good daughter and that Halloween will be behind everyone tomorrow. She tries to get answers about Mrs. Hameed’s debts, but her father refuses to divulge. She decides to help however she can.

Elizabeth enjoys trick-or-treating with her brother. When they arrive home, Elizabeth’s older brother has many friends over. Elizabeth asks her mom how she makes up with Aunt Louise after a fight. Her mom explains that friends differ from sisters, but that the best approach is apologizing and trying to make things work. She asks about Maddy and Sara. Her mom doesn’t seem confident about Elizabeth and Maddy fixing their rift, but advises Elizabeth to make up with Sara. The next day, the girls apologize to each other and explain why they were mad. Elizabeth asks Sara to sit with her at lunch. They call each other friends while Elizabeth reflects on Maddy distancing herself.

Elizabeth passes Sara a note during language arts class, asking what they’re cooking that evening. Sara refuses to tell and teases Elizabeth that the dinner could be a gross vegetable. They broach the topic of their international festival display dish, and Elizabeth says they’ll work well as partners like sugar and spice. Sara withdraws at Elizabeth’s spice implication; Elizabeth does not realize the negative statements Sara hears people associate with Pakistani culture and spice. As the two go their separate ways for the rest of the school day, they plan how to get their mothers together to study for the citizenship test, a plan Elizabeth calls Operation High Tea.