To continue our American summer we are going to kick off July by reading my favorite book from 2023, Everything Sad is Untrue (a true story) by . I am not sure that I can describe how excited I am to force you to read this book with me enjoy this book with you all! I think this is the book I am most excited to announce this year (though there is a lot of good competition).
Nayeri’s fictionalized memoir is beautifully written, has a compelling story, and employs such an interesting narrative device. It is a true story (like the title says), but he is writing it from the perspective his 11 year old self telling his story to his teacher. So it is such an interesting cross of fiction and non-fiction. I am very interested in creative narrative structures right now (which also explains why we are reading Trust in June). So this is really part memoir, part fiction, part memory novel. Also, I hope we can all enjoy the Lord of the Rings reference in the title too!
Close Reads HQ did a series on this last year and it was lovely and at the end they had Daniel Nayeri on for an interview, which will make you love him and the book even more!
(from ) has generously offered us her thoughts on Everything Sad is Untrue. I have been listening to Heidi talk about Literature for years on the podcast and I am constantly amazed at how knowledgable she is about books and human nature. I really could listen to her chat about reading all day. I am so grateful that she can help us get excited for Nayeri’s novel. Here is what she has to say about this book…
Everything Sad is Untrue was in my top five favorite books of 2020–a year we all needed to be reminded of the truth of its title. A fictionalized memoir of a refugee child whose courageous mother escaped Iran with her children after a fatwa was placed on her head, this lyrical novel is a love song to storytelling, food, homeland, childhood, and the memories that make us who we are. From the saffron fields of Persia to the windswept rooftops of Tulsa, Daniel Nayeri’s self-revelatory novel illuminates how the stories we tell ourselves can become the redeeming conduit for the grace that saves us.
If you missed June, here it is!
Stay tuned for August featuring fellow book club member Tammy Carlin and our yearly Austen novel…
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