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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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0Lots of things going on in this book!
I loved the post 9/11 perspective from a Muslim girl because I do not feel I’ve seen this perspective enough brought up in literature. It really touched my heart, because 20 years later I can admit that I was blind to the depth of it all at the time.
As someone who’s dealt with depression and devastating family loss, I can relate to the main character’s want to tip toe around hard subjects. As an adult, I can easily want her to ditch the bad in her life, but I know how hard it is to be afraid of drama after trauma. To hold so much in, and to avoid rather than bother others about your problems.
The end was a cliff hanger, but I felt it was a realistic one. Many things could happen from one small step forward, and I like that it wasn’t wrapped up in a neat little bow. Life is messy. Relationships are messy. Bridges may not be rebuilt, and people may never be who you want them to be. That one small step may be the catalyst though for great things.
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