Everything Sad Is Untrue

About this book

Winner of the Michael L. Printz AwardChristopher Award WinnerMiddle East Book Award WinnerNational Indie BestsellerNPR Best Book of the YearNew York Times Best of the YearAmazon Best of the YearBooklist Editors' ChoiceBookPage Best of the YearNECBA Windows & Mirrors SelectionPublishers Weekly Best of the YearWall Street Journal Best of the YearToday.com Best of the YearWalter Awards Honor Book "A modern masterpiece."--The New York Times Book Review "Supple, sparkling and original."--The Wall Street Journal "Mesmerizing."--TODAY.com "This book could change the world."--BookPage "Like nothing else you've read or ever will read."--Linda Sue Park "It hooks you right from the opening line."--NPR SEVEN STARRED REVIEWS * "A modern epic."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review * "A rare treasure of a book."--Publishers Weekly, starred review * "A story that soars."--The Bulletin, starred review * "At once beautiful and painful."--School Library Journal, starred review * "Raises the literary bar in children's lit."--Booklist, starred review * "Poignant and powerful."--Foreword Reviews, starred review * "One of the most extraordinary books of the year."--BookPage, starred review A sprawling, evocative, and groundbreaking autobiographical novel told in the unforgettable and hilarious voice of a young Iranian refugee. It is a powerfully layered novel that poses the questions: Who owns the truth? Who speaks it? Who believes it? "A patchwork story is the shame of the refugee," Nayeri writes early in the novel. In an Oklahoman middle school, Khosrou (whom everyone calls Daniel) stands in front of a skeptical audience of classmates, telling the tales of his family's history, stretching back years, decades, and centuries. At the core is Daniel's story of how they became refugees--starting with his mother's vocal embrace of Christianity in a country that made such a thing a capital offense, and continuing through their midnight flight from the secret police, bribing their way onto a plane-to-anywhere. Anywhere becomes the sad, cement refugee camps of Italy, and then finally asylum in the U.S. Implementing a distinct literary style and challenging western narrative structures, Nayeri deftly weaves through stories of the long and beautiful history of his family in Iran, adding a richness of ancient tales and Persian folklore. Like Scheherazade of One Thousand and One Nights in a hostile classroom, Daniel spins a tale to save his own life: to stake his claim to the truth. EVERYTHING SAD IS UNTRUE (a true story) is a tale of heartbreak and resilience and urges readers to speak their truth and be heard.