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A review by sarnacle
Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A memoir, but written in the author’s 10 year old voice. It was genius and exceptionally enjoyable hearing read in the author’s own (adult) voice.
Immigrant stories are not easy. I can’t imagine the fortitude it takes to pick up and leave the place you have always known and go to a place so foreign. Even if you leave by choice, the stress of making that move has to be so heavy. But to have to flee your home and family seems almost insurmountable.
And yet the way that Daniel crafts this story is beautiful, charming, and endearing. For one, the use of his young voice helps the reader settle in for a lighthearted, unthreatening story. But by weaving in Persian myths, we get a deeper understanding of how he processed this - let’s call it what it is - trauma.
It really is a very evocative tale. Between the descriptions of Persian food, culture, and mythology we can visualize it in our minds. And the not so pretty parts are equally detailed. There’s a real cringe factor in some of the stories that brings it all to life. Through all of this Daniel has created a story that is not easily forgotten.
Immigrant stories are not easy. I can’t imagine the fortitude it takes to pick up and leave the place you have always known and go to a place so foreign. Even if you leave by choice, the stress of making that move has to be so heavy. But to have to flee your home and family seems almost insurmountable.
And yet the way that Daniel crafts this story is beautiful, charming, and endearing. For one, the use of his young voice helps the reader settle in for a lighthearted, unthreatening story. But by weaving in Persian myths, we get a deeper understanding of how he processed this - let’s call it what it is - trauma.
It really is a very evocative tale. Between the descriptions of Persian food, culture, and mythology we can visualize it in our minds. And the not so pretty parts are equally detailed. There’s a real cringe factor in some of the stories that brings it all to life. Through all of this Daniel has created a story that is not easily forgotten.