Everything Sad Is Untrue: (a true story) (Hardcover)

Staff Reviews
A true refugee story told in a Scheherazade-like format. It's the most engrossing book I've read this year: it's magical, haunting, uplifting, funny, and sad all at once. I love this boy and I loved learning about his Iranian childhood and one-of-a-kind immigrant experience in Oklahoma. A MUST READ!
— Donna
One of my Top 3 Books of 2020: a rich history of a young Iranian refugee making a life in Oklahoma, his relationship with his parents, and finding an identity.
— Amy
One of my Top 3 Books of 2020: This beautiful book made me laugh and cry. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator's voice is everything. He uses humor and myths to tell the tale of his Iranian family settling in Oklahoma and though it was written for kids, it is great for all ages.
— SarahDescription
But Khosrou''s stories, stretching back years, and decades, and centuries, are beautiful, and terrifying, from the moment his family fled Iran in the middle of the night with the secret police moments behind them, back to the sad, cement refugee camps of Italy.and further back to the fields near the river Aras, where rain-soaked flowers bled red like the yolk of sunset burst over everything, and further back still to the Jasmine-scented city of Isfahan.
We bounce between a school bus of kids armed with paper clip missiles and spitballs to the heroines and heroes of Khosrou''s family''s past, who ate pastries that made people weep and cry "Akh, Tamar!" and touched carpets woven with precious gems.
Like Scheherazade in a hostile classroom, Daniel weaves a tale to save his own life: to stake his claim to the truth. And it is (a true story).
It is Daniel''s.
About the Author
Praise For…
"A distinctive voice. A rare treasure of a book." -Publishers Weekly, starred review
"A story that soars. Readers will be transported."-The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review
"Like nothing else you've read or ever will read."-Newbery Medalist, Linda Sue Park
"Poignant and powerful. A story of heartbreak and resilience." -Foreward Reviews, starred review
"A modern epic." - Kirkus Reviews, starred review
? "A journey as intimate as it is epic. A remarkable work that raises the literary bar in children's lit."-Booklist, starred review
? "At once beautiful and painful, this timely story is highly recommended for middle grade readers."-School Library Journal, starred review
? "One of the most extraordinary books of the year."-BookPage