I’m certain this book will change the way any reader sees refugees. Empathy–As a reader, I can’t help feeling empathy for young Daniel and wishing his classmates could see him as we the readers do.The gospel–Though Nayeri doesn’t directly claim to be a Christian in the book (he lets the reader decide), and this isn’t a “Christian book,” it still depicts one of the most beautiful, compelling presentations of the gospel through its depiction of his mother and the sacrifices she made to become a follower of Jesus.Nayeri weaves together so many threads so skillfully, creating empathy and connection with his reader. Storytelling–As I mentioned earlier, the storytelling in this book is spellbinding.What I loved about Everything Sad is Untrue His father stays in Iran and remarries while his family become refugees in Dubai, Italy, and finally Oklahoma. But when his mom and sister become Christians, they must flee Iran where converting to Christianity is a capital crime. But I’ll try to sum up here.ĭaniel (Khosrou) begins his life as the child of wealthy, well-educated parents in Iran. He doesn’t tell the story linearly, and that’s part of its power. The story is impossible to capture in this summary because Nayeri weaves together myth and family history with his real life, interweaving them to make a beautiful tapestry. But what’s clear is that Daniel wants us to see him as a person-the way we see ourselves-and not some weird, smelly, poor kid, the way his classmates do. Miller, his classmates, or us, the readers. Through much of the story, we’re unsure if he’s writing to his teacher Mrs. He tells of his beautiful childhood in Iran, the struggles of refugee life in three countries, family history, legends, and the good and bad things about is new life in Oklahoma. In the tradition of Scheherazade from the One Thousand and One Nights, Daniel (whose real name, Khosrou no one is Oklahoma can pronounce) weaves his stories into a masterpiece. Please read my whole review and don’t skip the Parents Should Know section, especially if you have a sensitive reader. But as Nayeri writes, “stories get better as they get more true,” and this is a true story, the story of the author’s childhood.Īlthough I loved this book, I do not think it’s for everyone.

It’s both spellbinding and often uncomfortable. It is a stunningly beautiful and moving book. Everything Sad is Untrue: A True Story by Daniel Nayeri has won more awards than I can list here and seven starred reviews, and for good reason. When a book quotes Tolkien in the title and Dostoyevsky on one of the first pages, I pay attention.

Everything sad is untrue