【回憶交織傳說 伊朗少年以故事扭轉歧視】
在奧克拉荷馬的一間中學裡，來自伊朗的丹尼爾是班上唯一的波斯裔學生，身上的不同之處讓他成為同學們的笑柄以及霸凌的對象。在一堂課上，他必須站在一群多疑的同學面前分享自己的家族故事。丹尼爾憑著對伊朗的模糊記憶結合波斯文化的民俗傳說，編織出一個個不完美但卻美麗動人的故事。
作者Daniel Nayeri從自己的童年取材，巧妙地融合自身經歷與民俗傳說，在書中投射的自我宛如一千零一夜中的雪赫拉莎德，以說故事的本領在逆境中求生存。
A sprawling, evocative, and groundbreaking autobiographical novel told in the unforgettable and hilarious voice of a young Iranian refugee. It is a powerfully layered novel that poses the questions: Who owns the truth? Who speaks it? Who believes it?
"A patchwork story is the shame of the refugee," Nayeri writes early in the novel. In an Oklahoman middle school, Khosrou (whom everyone calls Daniel) stands in front of a skeptical audience of classmates, telling the tales of his familyˊs history, stretching back years, decades, and centuries. At the core is Danielˊs story of how they became refugees—starting with his motherˊs vocal embrace of Christianity in a country that made such a thing a capital offense, and continuing through their midnight flight from the secret police, bribing their way onto a plane-to-anywhere. Anywhere becomes the sad, cement refugee camps of Italy, and then finally asylum in the U.S. Implementing a distinct literary style and challenging western narrative structures, Nayeri deftly weaves through stories of the long and beautiful history of his family in Iran, adding a richness of ancient tales and Persian folklore.
Like Scheherazade of One Thousand and One Nights in a hostile classroom, Daniel spins a tale to save his own life: to stake his claim to the truth. EVERYTHING SAD IS UNTRUE (a true story) is a tale of heartbreak and resilience and urges readers to speak their truth and be heard.
