A National Indie Bestseller
An NPR Best Book of the Year
A New York Times Best Book of the Year
An Amazon Best Book of the Year
A Booklist Editors' Choice
A BookPage Best Book of the Year
A NECBA Windows & Mirrors Selection
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
A Wall Street Journal Best Book of the Year
A Today.com Best of the Year
In an Oklahoman middle school, Khosrou (whom everyone calls Daniel) stands in front of a skeptical audience of classmates, telling tales of his family's history. 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 it a capital offense and 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. Nayeri weaves through stories of the history of his family in Iran, adding a richness of ancient tales and Persian folklore. Daniel spins a tale to save his own life: to stake his claim to the truth.
Age Range: 12-18 | Grade Level: 7-12 | Lexile Measure: 800L