An Emotion of Great Delight
Written by Tahereh Mafi
Published by HarperCollins Publishers
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.
Primary ISBN: 9780062972415
Available As: Hardcover, Audiobook, eBook
Young Adult, Age 13 or older
Community Represented: Iranian/Iranian American, Muslim/Muslim American
Themes: Discrimination: Cultural, Discrimination: Racial, Discrimination: Religious, Family Relationship: Parents, Generation: 1st, Own Voices/Lived Experience, Trauma & Healing: Death of Family or Friend
Setting: United States
Character’s New Arrival/New American Status: 1st Generation
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
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