Summary
Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri is a young adult novel following 12-year-old Khosrou, also known as Daniel, an Iranian refugee adjusting to life in Oklahoma. A work of autofiction, the book blends Nayeri's real-life experiences with Persian myths, focusing on themes of memory, identity, and the immigrant experience. Its nonlinear narrative explores Daniel’s struggles with reconciling his Iranian heritage with his new reality in the United States. Throughout, Nayeri emphasizes the role of storytelling in connecting people, facing fear, and fostering empathy.
Plot
Everything Sad Is Untrue is told from the perspective of 12-year-old Khosrou, who becomes known as Daniel after fleeing Iran. The story centers on his family's escape from their homeland due to his mother's conversion from Islam to Christianity, which puts them in danger. Their journey takes them to a refugee camp in Italy before migrating to Oklahoma, where Daniel faces being perceived as an outsider.
Daniel blends memories of life in Iran with the challenges of adapting to America. He shares stories of his great-grandmother losing her inheritance and his grandmother facing a difficult marriage. These narratives reflect the refugee experience as Daniel tries to preserve his heritage.
In Oklahoma, Daniel confronts bullying and prejudice. His perceived "weird" lunches and tales are often dismissed as fantasies. These stories provide him with solace and connect him to Persian culture. His narrative style recalls the ancient tales of Scheherazade from 1,001 Nights, demonstrating the enduring power of storytelling to maintain identity in the face of adversity.
Themes
Immigration
In Everything Sad Is Untrue, Daniel Nayeri examines the immigrant experience from the perspective of 12-year-old Khosrou (or Daniel), an Iranian refugee struggling to adapt to life in Oklahoma. The narrative depicts the challenges immigrants face as they manage cultural dislocation and strive to maintain their identity.
Sima, Khosrou's mother, plays a central role as she embodies the immigrant experience through her resilience. She decides to flee Iran after converting to Christianity, driven by deep spiritual conviction. This decision exemplifies the sacrifices often required by immigration. The family then enters the uncertain world of asylum seekers, marked by their stay in a refugee camp in Italy. The camp represents both deprivation and hope for acceptance in a new land.
Nayeri explores the social challenges of immigration by detailing Daniel’s experiences with bullying and prejudice in Edmond, Oklahoma. He remarks, “The truest form of evil [...] is all the things bystanders leave undone.” This highlights the ignorance and hostility immigrants often face, emphasizing the need for empathy and understanding from host communities.
Cultural heritage
In Everything Sad Is Untrue, Daniel Nayeri uses storytelling to preserve his cultural identity. Nayeri weaves myth, legend, and history to celebrate Persian heritage. He refers to Iranian kings, poets, and legendary figures, connecting his character Khosrou to both his past and new surroundings. Nayeri shows that stories carry culture and identity, balancing Iran's historical richness with life in America. Myths and cultural history provide comfort during upheaval. Storytelling serves as a survival mechanism.
Faith, conversion, sacrifice
Faith and religious conversion shape the narrative in Everything Sad Is Untrue, deeply impacting the characters' lives. Daniel’s mother, Sima, converts to Christianity, sparking a major upheaval and prompting the family to leave Iran. This decision requires significant sacrifice as Sima leaves a prestigious life for one with uncertainty. The family's experiences, including encounters with secret police and daring escapes, show the consequences of her choice.
Sima's sacrifices are evident in the contrast between her past and present. Formerly a celebrated doctor in Iran, she works in menial jobs in the US to support her family. This transformation shows the extent of her faith, which demands personal sacrifice. Daniel recalls his mother's firm statement, “It’s true,” indicating that her faith holds more value than material wealth.
Daniel Nayeri explores the conflict between cultural identity and personal belief. He underscores faith's power to redefine a life, reflecting the personal sacrifices linked to profound conviction.
Characters
Daniel Nayeri (Khosrou): The protagonist and narrator, a 12-year-old Iranian refugee whose journey from Iran to Oklahoma forms the core of the narrative. Daniel navigates alienation and bullying in America. He uses storytelling to connect his past with his present and resist prejudice while maintaining his cultural roots.
Sima Nayeri (Daniel’s Mother): Sima plays a crucial role in Daniel's life. She leaves Iran motivated by her Christian faith and a desire to protect her children. Her actions reflect the sacrifices made for faith and family.
Dina (Daniel’s Sister): Dina accompanies the family on their escape. Though her story is less prominent, it reflects the shared and individual experiences of family displacement.
Ray (Daniel’s Stepfather): Ray has a troubled past. His relationship with Daniel's mother involves abuse, illustrating the struggles the family faces after leaving Iran.
Baba Haji (Daniel’s Grandfather): Baba Haji remains in Iran. Daniel’s memories of him evoke nostalgia and loss while strengthening his cultural heritage.
Quick facts
Everything Sad Is Untrue is an autobiographical novel by Daniel Nayeri, reflecting his own experiences as an Iranian refugee in Oklahoma.
Nayeri's family fled Iran because his mother converted from Islam to Christianity, considered a capital offense in Iran.
His mother, Sima, sacrificed her successful career as a doctor in Iran for her religious beliefs.
The family spent a year in an Italian refugee camp before obtaining resettlement in the United States.
The narrative blends Persian myths, legends, and family history, intertwining reality with imaginative storytelling.
Daniel narrates the story through the nonlinear, fragmented memories of his 12-year-old self, without traditional chapter structures.
Everything Sad Is Untrue won several prestigious awards, including the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Fiction and the Middle East Book Award.
The novel addresses deep themes of cultural identity, displacement, family dynamics, memory, and truth.
Daniel's storytelling, influenced by Persian folklore, parallels Scheherazade's method of survival through stories.
Young Daniel experiences bullying, cultural isolation, and emotional challenges upon his move to Oklahoma, and finds support through empathetic adults.
Daniel's initial American experiences involve unique cultural snacks and toys, marking a tangible contrast to his life in Iran.
Narrative style
Daniel Nayeri's Everything Sad Is Untrue uses a narrative style that merges a young adult viewpoint with autobiography and myth in a nonlinear format. A 12-year-old boy named Khosrou, later known as Daniel, narrates the story through vivid, fragmented recollections. These reflect a world of change and upheaval. The novel does not use traditional chapters. It interweaves Persian myths with Nayeri's life experiences. This structure merges confusion and cultural depth, reflecting a young mind's cognitive and emotional landscape. Memories connect through feelings and experiences rather than chronology. Nayeri transitions from adult insight to a child's perspective, creating a story that captures feelings of fear and isolation while exploring themes of immigration, identity, and resilience.
Awards
Everything Sad Is Untrue won the prestigious Michael L. Printz Award for its contribution to young adult literature. The book also earned the Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature and the Middle East Book Award for Youth Literature as well as a Walter Dean Myers Award and a Christopher Award. The New York Times, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly named it among the best books for young readers of 2020.
About the author
Daniel Nayeri is an Iranian-American author of young adult and middle-grade novels. He is best known for his award-winning work of autobiographical fiction, Everything Sad Is Untrue (2020). Born in Iran, Nayeri and his family fled their homeland after his mother's conversion from Islam to Christianity put them in danger, and eventually settled in Oklahoma. Nayeri began his career as an editor of children’s books. In 2024, his novel The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams was selected as a Newbery Honor book.
