This book was heartbreakingly beautiful. At its core, it's the coming out story of a 28-year-old Syrian American trans man woven into a complex family history. But in truth, the narrative is much more vast. It's the story of an entire community's migration from Syria to the United States. It's the story of the rise and fall of Little Syria in New York City. It's the story of every queer person everywhere who has ever felt at odds with their truth and their community.

The narrative moves between the present experience of the yet unnamed narrator and the diary entries of a Syrian artist whose story is deeply intertwined with that of the narrator. The prose is so poetic it hurts. The kind of good hurt where you feel your heart breaking open and you know you are alive. And there are birds! So many birds! Birds of reality and myth and the intermingling of the two.

This is much more than an LGBTQ+ book or an immigration story. It's a profound tale of losing and finding oneself, one's family, and one's sacred spaces. It's an unflinching account of grief for our lost loved ones, our lost spaces, and our lost selves. It's an overdue reminder of the resiliency of oppressed communities and how deep community and cultural connections can heal wounds and rebuild a sense of home.

In short, READ IT! :)