Everything Sad Is Untrue (a true story)

This is an amazing story! Culturally rich and beautifully written. It is the true story of, told from the perspective of a 12 year old boy. They became Christians in Iran and had to flee for their lives, from the Islamic Regime. It is beautiful and interesting, sad and inspiring, triumphant and joyful. Just read it! I just bought my second copy. My first was a gift!

I rarely write reviews, and especially not within an hour of finishing the book! A writer friend recommended Everything Said is Untrue for the lyrical prose. So I bought it for the poetry and found an exceptional memoir. A touching story about an Iranian refugee's childhood and life as a child immigrant in Oklahoma.

I purchased this book as a required reading for my middle school daughter in eighth grade honors ELA. She enjoyed the book, but it wasn’t her favorite. Decent price.

If you only read ONE book this year, let it be this one: "Everything Sad is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri. This memoir of an Iranian refugee child who moved to Oklahoma in the 90s is endearing, funny, and utterly captivating. It interweaves fact with fiction, telling of his upbringing but also telling the myths and stories of his cultural heritage. I listened to it on OverDrive/Libby (the audio is read by the author) in the span of a day (it’s 8 hrs long!) and loved it so much that I bought the hardcover for us to keep in our library so we can revisit it over and over, like we do all the best stories. We are also reading it together as a family right now. The kids complain when it’s time to stop. That’s the BEST feeling in the whole world; having your kids engrossed so completely in a true story, a well-told story that includes elements of the Gospel and real-life lessons they need to know, that they whine when it’s over and beg to hear more. This is the kind of story I want to fill their heads with, one that includes hard truths but also magic and whimsy. If they heard only stories like these for years and years, imagine what kind of thoughts they’d think, what kind of things they’d write, and what kinds of people they’d be. That’s our goal: to find out. Read it, by yourself or with your family. You will not regret it. 😉

What a beautiful and raw story! As an immigrant myself (but from a different country and with a totally different story) this book is so fascinating to me! I learned more about Iran and their traditions. It helped me to understand/see/feel another person’s history! The book is written in such a unique way and I loved that about it. It sucks you in as a fiction would but yet it’s like a history lesson. Highly recommended!

This story moved my heart as he wrote. It was as if a child told me the sad but uplifting story. I learned so much about how an Iranian boy sees the world. He explained the differences in Muslim believers. The best part was how love changes everything.

This is one of the best books I’ve read in the last 10 years. I don’t know what to say other than thank you to Daniel, the amazing author, for weaving together a masterpiece.

I learned a lot from this book. It helps to humanize people to understand them even just a little. Perhaps walk a mile in their shoes.

Very fast delivery. Great

Absolutely loved this book - really interesting exploration of the refugee experience through a child’s POV.

El libro es hermoso, muy bien escrito e increíblemente profundo. Muestra la vida de un niño refugiado, lo que dejó atrás, lo difícil del camino, la reacción de sus compañeros. De inmediato he kerido compartirlo con todos mis amigos esta navidad y entonces me he dado cuenta de que, aunque la versión en español existe (ISBN 9786078825059. Todo lo triste es mentira) vosotros no la tenéis. Por favor hacedla disponible,

Lovely story about life and how to overcome. Not only children should read it but everyone!

A wonderful book. Unique. Could not put it down and stopped numerous times to reread beautifully observed passages