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An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi

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An Emotion of Great Delight

Tahereh Mafi

HarperCollins · Paperback · June 1, 2021

Reading lane: Muslim YA

From bestselling and National Book Award–nominated author Tahereh Mafi comes a stunning novel about love and loneliness, navigating the hyphen of dual identity, and reclaiming your right to joy—even when you’re trapped in the amber of sorrow.

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At a Glance

Who It's For

Good for readers interested in civil rightsGood for fans of Young AdultGood for readers who enjoy Muslim YA and Middle East (YA).

Book Details

Authors
Tahereh Mafi
Publisher
HarperCollins
Published
June 1, 2021
Format
Paperback
Theme
Muslim YA · Middle East (YA)
Reading lane
Muslim YA

Affinity

Publisher Categories

  • Coming of Age

  • Asian American YA

  • Muslim YA

  • Contemporary YA Romance

Show all 8 publisher categories
  • Bullying (YA)

  • Depression (YA)

  • Friendship (YA)

  • Mental Illness (YA)

About This Book

From bestselling and National Book Award–nominated author Tahereh Mafi comes a stunning novel about love and loneliness, navigating the hyphen of dual identity, and reclaiming your right to joy—even when you’re trapped in the amber of sorrow. It’s 2003, several months since the US officially declared war on Iraq, and the American political world has evolved. Tensions are high, hate crimes are on the rise, FBI agents are infiltrating local mosques, and the Muslim community is...

Read full description

From bestselling and National Book Award–nominated author Tahereh Mafi comes a stunning novel about love and loneliness, navigating the hyphen of dual identity, and reclaiming your right to joy—even when you’re trapped in the amber of sorrow. It’s 2003, several months since the US officially declared war on Iraq, and the American political world has evolved. Tensions are high, hate crimes are on the rise, FBI agents are infiltrating local mosques, and the Muslim community is harassed and targeted more than ever. Shadi, who wears hijab, keeps her head down. She's too busy drowning in her own troubles to find the time to deal with bigots. Shadi is named for joy, but she’s haunted by sorrow. Her brother is dead, her father is dying, her mother is falling apart, and her best friend has mysteriously dropped out of her life. And then, of course, there’s the small matter of her heart— It’s broken. Shadi tries to navigate her crumbling world by soldiering through, saying nothing. She devours her own pain, each day retreating farther and farther inside herself until finally, one day, everything changes. She explodes. An Emotion of Great Delight is a searing look into the world of a single Muslim family in the wake of 9/11. It’s about a child of immigrants forging a blurry identity, falling in love, and finding hope—in the midst of a modern war.

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