Printz Award Winner
Ages 10+, grades 6+
Summary
In an American classroom, Daniel (whose name is really Khosrou, but that has proven too hard for Americans to pronounce) stands in front of his class recounting tales of his life, of his family, and of the place he grew up and later fled. Addressing the reader directly, he claims that “the shame of refugees is that we have to constantly explain ourselves. It makes the stories patchworks, not beautiful rugs.” This largely sums up the book, as his stories are constantly punctuated by his having to stop and clarify some aspect of Persian life to either his classmates or the reader. Yet his stories are beautiful, as accounts of his early life and immigration to America are intricately woven into Persian history and mythology.
In an American classroom, Daniel (whose name is really Khosrou, but that has proven too hard for Americans to pronounce) stands in front of his class recounting tales of his life, of his family, and of the place he grew up and later fled. Addressing the reader directly, he claims that “the shame of refugees is that we have to constantly explain ourselves. It makes the stories patchworks, not beautiful rugs.” This largely sums up the book, as his stories are constantly punctuated by his having to stop and clarify some aspect of Persian life to either his classmates or the reader. Yet his stories are beautiful, as accounts of his early life and immigration to America are intricately woven into Persian history and mythology.
Born in Iran to a family of wealth and Islamic legacy, Daniel now lives with his mother, older sister, and sometimes-stepdad in Edmond, Oklahoma, and spends his time observing and notating the behavior of his American peers in sometimes clumsy, sometimes astute attempts at assimilation. This linear story of Everything Sad is Untrue covers just a school year, but through his storytelling he shares generations’ and centuries’ worth of history and lore. His audience of skeptical peers mostly believes him to be the poor refugee kid who makes things up for attention, but for Daniel, his stories are how he makes sense of the world and connects his patchwork of memories to his present life.
Justification
I was attracted to this book from the Printz Award list because of its topic. I have been on a kick of reading and listening to Middle Eastern historical fiction for much of the past year, beginning with Gian Sardar’s Take What You Can Carry and Renee Adieh’s The Wrath and the Dawn, continuing through the work of Marjan Kamali. Everything Sad is Untrue offers an excellent continuation of this theme but from a totally new viewpoint from author Daniel Nayeri (the character’s name is no coincidence; though the work is considered fiction it is largely autobiographical). Like other related works, Nayeri includes explanations of Middle Eastern social expectations and formalities, as well as my favorite part: rich descriptions of Persian cuisine like chicken fesenjoon, cardamom pistachio cake, and saffron rosewater cookies. The experience of Iran– its beauty and rich culture as well as its problematic political history– through the eyes of a twelve-year-old boy brought something new I didn’t know I needed to round out this literary fixation.
I was attracted to this book from the Printz Award list because of its topic. I have been on a kick of reading and listening to Middle Eastern historical fiction for much of the past year, beginning with Gian Sardar’s Take What You Can Carry and Renee Adieh’s The Wrath and the Dawn, continuing through the work of Marjan Kamali. Everything Sad is Untrue offers an excellent continuation of this theme but from a totally new viewpoint from author Daniel Nayeri (the character’s name is no coincidence; though the work is considered fiction it is largely autobiographical). Like other related works, Nayeri includes explanations of Middle Eastern social expectations and formalities, as well as my favorite part: rich descriptions of Persian cuisine like chicken fesenjoon, cardamom pistachio cake, and saffron rosewater cookies. The experience of Iran– its beauty and rich culture as well as its problematic political history– through the eyes of a twelve-year-old boy brought something new I didn’t know I needed to round out this literary fixation.
Response
I was shocked when I realized the suggested age range for this book started at ten years, not because of anything glaringly inappropriate, but because the book engaged me nearly as much as any YA or adult fiction has. Nayeri manages to write in a voice that is simultaneously true to the 12-year-old narrator, yet also seamlessly wise well beyond his years. Alongside scenes of pre-teen social angst and poop jokes– lots of actually pretty funny poop jokes– he stitches recollections of familial fables and vignettes of deeply meaningful struggle and insight. I’m not embarrassed to admit the latter had me nodding along teary-eyed on more than one occasion, like when he describes his unsuccessful attempts to share memories of their previous life with his older sister. “Sometimes,” Daniel says, “you just want somebody to look at a thing with you and say, “Yes. That is a thing you’re looking at. You haven’t lied to yourself.” Nayeri’s ability to give weight to both Daniel’s attempts at learning to eliminate in American toilets, as well as to his deep desire for connection to himself and his family, make this book a remarkable piece of literary work for both youth and adult readers.
I was shocked when I realized the suggested age range for this book started at ten years, not because of anything glaringly inappropriate, but because the book engaged me nearly as much as any YA or adult fiction has. Nayeri manages to write in a voice that is simultaneously true to the 12-year-old narrator, yet also seamlessly wise well beyond his years. Alongside scenes of pre-teen social angst and poop jokes– lots of actually pretty funny poop jokes– he stitches recollections of familial fables and vignettes of deeply meaningful struggle and insight. I’m not embarrassed to admit the latter had me nodding along teary-eyed on more than one occasion, like when he describes his unsuccessful attempts to share memories of their previous life with his older sister. “Sometimes,” Daniel says, “you just want somebody to look at a thing with you and say, “Yes. That is a thing you’re looking at. You haven’t lied to yourself.” Nayeri’s ability to give weight to both Daniel’s attempts at learning to eliminate in American toilets, as well as to his deep desire for connection to himself and his family, make this book a remarkable piece of literary work for both youth and adult readers.
Nayeri, D. (2020). Everything sad is untrue. Levine Querido.
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