Everything Sad is Untrue (a true story)

 

Bibliography

Nayeri, D. (2020). Everything sad is untrue: (a true story). Levine Querido.

ISBN: 9781646140008

Plot Summary
This is a story of what seems like two lives but one person. Khosrou is from Iran, but when his mother converted from Islam to Christianity, they had to flee. Under ‌Iranian law, when people convert, it is a death penalty. His mother's decision put their lives in danger, so she fled the country with Khosrou and his sister to Oklahoma. When they come to Oklahoma, he changes his name to Daniel to convert to the new lifestyle to fit in. This memoir of Khosrou/Daniel will cover topics of bullying, poverty, searching to fit in and belong, Persian poetry, religious reflections and a lot of reflection on everything.

Critical Analysis

Daniel Nayeri uses a few different methods in telling his story. His method would be considered a non-linear structure, which means he presents information in his story out of chronological order. Within the story there is no beginning, middle and end. He tells his story through flashbacks, Persian mythology, and ‌a childlike narration to tell his story of the means of survival of a refugee. When he is talking about his current life in Oklahoma, he will have a memory of a time in Iran or compare a situation to a Perisan story. It may be confusing to some readers, but the way it is written is more childlike or young adult living through his trauma. This is another way to show how trauma shows up at a time in someone’s life. His memoir is made for a middle grade or young adult reader and reads at this level.

Daniel Nayeri’s story had me deep diving in ways that I have not in a long time with a story. I’ve always loved stories of the past, especially those that are consisted myths. As Daniel was telling his story, he merges them with the myths of Perisan history. 

When Daniel first mentions 1001 Nights, the tale of a king who kills his wives until one saves herself by telling cliffhanger stories, I noticed how he casts himself as Scheherazade, surviving by weaving his own stories.I felt like Daniel saw himself as the wife and his life was the King with his murderous gaze. Daniel was facing so many life changes bullying, poverty, being a refugee, and more, he is telling his story to keep the reader wanting to know more like the King. 

Whenever he would bring up a Perisan story I would stop reading and look it up and read about it so I could understand the story. Reading the story then reading Daniel’s version of it helped gain a deeper understanding. Mr. Nayeri uses the Persian myths to ground his personal pain with his cultural history that he had to leave behind. I felt like he was trying to justify that his suffering was supposed to happen because struggle, resilience and hope are what the Persian culture was built off of. It is not necessary as a reader to do that when reading this book, but if I would have been a teacher with this book in my classroom, then I think it would be great to know more about the stories if students were to ask.

Whenever he would write about something sad, I would start to feel bad for Daniel, but then he would give his steps to survive or tell a story with it. When he did that I still felt sad for him, but it made me see the struggle and strength it took for him to turn situations around the way he had to survive. He uses his humor to soften the tragedy and hardship of his life. Through his storytelling, Persian myths and childlike voice, Mr. Daniel Nayeri tells his own version, like Scheherazade, of 1001 Nights. He is telling the reader his survival story through his strategies, all while keeping his culture alive and keeping strength through the life struggles of being a refugee. 

This is a book that I will be keeping on my shelf at home. I truly enjoyed it and found myself thinking about Daniel when I was not reading the story. 

Review Excerpts

• "A modern masterpiece."—The New York Times Book Review

• "Supple, sparkling and original."—The Wall Street Journal

• "Mesmerizing."—TODAY.com

• "This book could change the world."—BookPage

Awards and Recognitions

• Michael L. Printz Award Winner, 2021

• Middle East Book Award, Youth Literature, 2021

• Walter Dean Myers Award for Younger Reader Honor, 2021

• National Indie Bestseller 

• NPR Best Book of the Year 

• New York Times Best of the Year 

• Amazon Best of the Year 

• Booklist Editors’ Choice

• BookPage Best of the Year 

• NECBA Windows & Mirrors Selection 

• Publishers Weekly Best of the Year 

• Wall Street Journal Best of the Year 

• Today.com Best of the Year

Connections

• Have students write about a hardship that they faced. Have them focus on what gave them hope and if they had community support.
• Have students research more about Perisan Myths.
• This link is to Daniel Nayeri website: https://www.danielnayeri.com/everythingsadisuntrue He has videos where he is talking about his book. I highly recommend watching the videos. He shows pictures of himself at the age and you can see the love that he has for his mother. Her strength and love that we saw in the book shows in the quick video.