
“Suddenly evil isn’t punching people or even hating them. Suddenly it’s all that stuff you’ve left undone. All the kindness you could have given. All the excuses you gave instead.”― Daniel Nayeri, Everything Sad Is Untrue
Author Daniel Nayeri immigrated to Oklahoma from Iran with his mother and sister when he was ten years old. This book is his memoir of that experience as well as the history of his family over the generations in Iran. This book will make you laugh and cry as Daniel tries to assimilate in a place were he looks, talks, eats, and goes to the bathroom differently from everyone around him. Kids can be brutal and he certainly had many difficult experiences. The title ties in with Nayeri’s vision of the book when he said, “The book is immediately asking the reader not to lie to themselves. Not to dare believe they are any better. Not to omit themselves from the guilt. And from there it sets out to convince the reader that strictly speaking, all our memories are lies we tell ourselves.” This is a great book to help kids and adults build empathy and realize the importance of kindness.
Content Advisory: racism, bullying, animal death