Everything Sad Is Untrue (a true story)
WINNER, MICHAEL L. PRINTZ AWARD
WINNER, CHRISTOPHER AWARD
WINNER, MIDDLE EAST BOOK AWARD
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, Daniel spins a tale to save his own life: to stake his claim to the truth.
A tale of heartbreak and resilience and urges readers to speak their truth and be heard.
Type: Young Adult Novel
Pages: 368
Format: Paperback
Publication: August 8, 2023
ISBN: 9781646142729
Type: Middle Grade Novel
Pages: 368
Format: Hardcover
Publication: August 25, 2020
ISBN: 9781646140008
PRAISE
WALTER AWARD HONOR • National Bestseller • NECBA Windows & Mirrors Selection
Best of the Year :
NPR • New York Times • Amazon •. Booklist • BookPage • Publishers Weekly • Wall Street Journal • Today.com
★ “A modern epic.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred)
★ “A rare treasure of a book.” —Publishers Weekly (starred)
★ “A story that soars.”—The Bulletin (starred)
★ “At once beautiful and painful.”—School Library Journal (starred)
★ “Raises the literary bar in children’s lit.” —Booklist (starred)
★ “Poignant and powerful.” —Foreword Reviews (starred)
★ “One of the most extraordinary books of the year.”—BookPage (starred)
“A modern masterpiece.”—New York Times
“Supple, sparkling and original.”—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
About daniel nayeri
Daniel Nayeri was born in Iran and spent a couple of years as a refugee before immigrating to Oklahoma at age eight with his family. He is the publisher of Odd Dot, an imprint of Macmillan, making him one of the youngest publishers in the industry. He has served on the CBC diversity committee and the CBC panel committee.
Follow Daniel on Twitter at @DanielNayeri.
