Daniel Nayeri’s Everything Sad is Untrue may be listed as a middle grade novel by its publisher, but it’s unlike almost any other novel in the category. So in this episode David, Heidi, and Sean discuss its unique stylistic approach and the way it conceives of stories as essential to culture, with a foray into some discussion about memory novels. Happy listening!
Is there a way to figure out in the audiobook what timestamp corresponds to the page numbers listed for the episodes of the podcasts for this book?
I am guessing since there the book is divided into three episodes that 33% and 66% would be reasonable stopping places but I am not quite sure with the format of this book.
I love this book. So much. I have told everyone I know about it. It’s a breath of fresh air in my readings of this year.
To the 4th of July discussion: I have a friend who is half Persian of a recent immigrant to the US and it is fitting to listen to this podcast as her birthday is the 4th of July!
Also I bake every year a buttermilk vanilla cake, with cream cheese frosting and berries in the shape of a flag for the 4th of July. Delicious and patriotic😂
David mentioned that we needed to listen to refugee stories, so I wondered if anyone has read a couple of books by Nayeri's sister, Dina Nayeri. She has two non-fiction books: Who Gets Believed, and The Ungrateful Refugee, and a beautifully written novel, A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea
This book is so amazing, but even more so because it feels like its own version of the 1001 Nights, which are stories within stories within stories that swirl around and still make sense--both as separate pieces and as parts of a whole.
P.S. The Withywindle interviews with Daniel Nayeri are fabulous.
I love your use of swirl here! I also love the stories within the stores, and think “swirl” is the perfect verb! And also the fact that he references the the OK tornadoes!
I’m really enjoying this book this time around. I tried listening to it last year but was on a cross country trip to help my parents and it was an emotionally fraught trip...the book just sort of washed over me and I had to give it up for a “beach read”. I’m glad we are doing this so I could try again!
Thank you for the egg poacher link! I LOVE poached eggs but find them difficult (or time-consuming) to make. I know fresh eggs are a big key, but sometimes you want a poached egg at the end of the dozen! Now to go checkout in Amazon!
Ah you guys!!! This book is gold! I am laughing and crying all at the same time...I’m listening to it today so not sure what “page” I’m up to but “the poop story” had me in stitches!!! 🤣🤣🤣 I used to live in SE Asia...so yeah totally relatable and now I understand all the signs in the malls that have a western toilet with a person trying to squat in it with a red line through it!!! I used to wonder who in their right mind would try such a feat?!? Now I know!
I’m loving this conversation - and this book - so very much. It’s making me think about where, if anywhere, the line between writing and storytelling lies. And what makes something a ‘children’s book.’
And the food! Cheers to rice pudding… my forever favorite.
I’m curious to see what this story has to say about cultural identity and coming of age. I’m so tired of pop culture’s unicorn messaging (re. CIRCE’s article by Joshua Gibbs in 2019 reposted yesterday). I’m actually at an ASL immersion workshop (as the parent of a deaf child but it’s primarily for teachers and professionals who work with DHH students), and in these environments I’m always confronted with some instruction cased in today’s aggressive social justice and victim mentality. The hopeless, faithless confusion and malaise it generates is frustrating to me. My daughter is deaf but not really a part of Deaf culture - like a second-generation citizen in a way. All that to say, I’m curious where truth comes in to the stories we tell about ourselves, our past, and our suffering (that quote from Nayeri’s interview!). And I hope this is a YA book that is hopeful and redemptive.
Side note: Close Read podcast offshoot - Close Eats 🤪😂 Seriously though, I would probably listen! My husband does most of the cooking, but I have poached chicken before 💪🏽
Do any of you live or have any of you lived in another country for a long period of time? I have been in France for 35 years and I really feel this book is about capturing the memories of your homeland. I have not come to the end of the book yet but I really feel this book because I tell very similar stories to my kids who are now adults and to my grandchildren about what being an American was like for me.
It's really touching for me because one of my close friends came to the states when the shah was deposed in 79 and some of his reflections in the book are like listening to my friend
There is so much to love about this book. One of the things that is wonderful is that I feel it draws the reader into conversation with it. I find myself remembering similar life experiences on the one hand and sitting in awe as he shared memories for which I have no personal experience. He has the ability to tap into the points of connection, drawing me further in and thus preparing me to sit with him through the painful memories he has.
Speaking to fictionalized truth, his comment that 1,001 Arabian Nights has no definitive canon, that there are many versions of the same story and incomplete stories is so important for entering into his story. It helped me to place his stories into the context of the myths and stories he is sharing. I also loved how he picked up stories, didn’t finish them, and resumed later.
My heart goes out to him in his desire to connect with his extended family, deceased and distant. My daughter has an imaginary friend, but hers is a bit unusual because it is her great-grandmother. She loves to tell me about the things she has done with her great-grandma and what she did at her house. The funny thing is that she only met her once, when she was 1 year old and my grandma was 101. We tell her about that day often, as it was my grandmother’s last good, lucid day and she fed her Cheerios. It was wonderful. She died a couple months later. My sons often want to correct her, and part of me is inclined to, but another part wants her to have that relationship with her great-grandmother. After all, she relit her spark for a few hours that day, why not let Great-Grandma go on roller coasters in my daughter’s imagination?
I first listened to this book after listening to Nayeri’s interview on the Withywindle podcast and it soared to the top of my favorite-books list! I read to my nieces and nephews (lower elementary to early teens) so I was encouraged by the conversation you all had about age-appropriateness. There are plenty of heart-wrenching moments! But there are so many great reasons I think every teen should read and discuss this beautiful story.
One of those reasons is Nayeri’s navigation of cross-cultural differences. He’s trying to hold on to his own culture while navigating and adjusting to the new. I grew up in the US and had no idea the kind of experiences cross-cultural kids faced. After college, I worked in Asia and now live in the UK. When my American co-workers go back to visit the States with their children, they face the same frustrations. There’s a part of the story when Nayeri is trying to describe his favorite candy bar and the other children liken it to an American candy bar. This kind of experience is so real for the kids I know. They are trying to connect with Americans without giving up their culture entirely. This book so graciously exposes this issue while providing the opportunity for the reader to adjust his/her way of interacting with those from a different cultural background.
I agree I read this with my 10 year old and 12 year old and we had so many amazing conversations. The suffering was hard for them (and me) but it helped us grow in empathy and faith.
I also listened to an audio recording of this book and loved it. When I chose it for my guided discussion Lit class, I read a physical copy of it… and wasn’t sure what to think. The odd paragraph breaks and the format are well-suited to a read-aloud but are a little skippy to actually read.
However.
While I enjoyed listening to it so very much, I think I got more out of holding it and reading the written word. By the end of the book, I was glad I had both listened to AND read it. It’s either a book that you should enjoy in both formats, or it just holds up well to a re-read, no matter which one you choose:)
Is there a way to figure out in the audiobook what timestamp corresponds to the page numbers listed for the episodes of the podcasts for this book?
I am guessing since there the book is divided into three episodes that 33% and 66% would be reasonable stopping places but I am not quite sure with the format of this book.
I love this book. So much. I have told everyone I know about it. It’s a breath of fresh air in my readings of this year.
To the 4th of July discussion: I have a friend who is half Persian of a recent immigrant to the US and it is fitting to listen to this podcast as her birthday is the 4th of July!
Also I bake every year a buttermilk vanilla cake, with cream cheese frosting and berries in the shape of a flag for the 4th of July. Delicious and patriotic😂
David mentioned that we needed to listen to refugee stories, so I wondered if anyone has read a couple of books by Nayeri's sister, Dina Nayeri. She has two non-fiction books: Who Gets Believed, and The Ungrateful Refugee, and a beautifully written novel, A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea
This book is so amazing, but even more so because it feels like its own version of the 1001 Nights, which are stories within stories within stories that swirl around and still make sense--both as separate pieces and as parts of a whole.
P.S. The Withywindle interviews with Daniel Nayeri are fabulous.
I love your use of swirl here! I also love the stories within the stores, and think “swirl” is the perfect verb! And also the fact that he references the the OK tornadoes!
I’m really enjoying this book this time around. I tried listening to it last year but was on a cross country trip to help my parents and it was an emotionally fraught trip...the book just sort of washed over me and I had to give it up for a “beach read”. I’m glad we are doing this so I could try again!
Heidi...when you poached eggs was it directly in the water? I’m married to a chef, thought I could do it and it was a disaster. 🤣 He bought these for me..they work great and I’ve never looked back. We call them egg helmets. https://www.amazon.com/Egg-Poacher-Standers-Silicone-Microwave/dp/B08Q7FR4ZS/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=14L7SCE2MU82&keywords=poached+egg+cups&qid=1689341306&sprefix=poac%2Caps%2C90&sr=8-1
Thank you for the egg poacher link! I LOVE poached eggs but find them difficult (or time-consuming) to make. I know fresh eggs are a big key, but sometimes you want a poached egg at the end of the dozen! Now to go checkout in Amazon!
They are so easy!! Mine are all green hence the egg helmet name!
Ah you guys!!! This book is gold! I am laughing and crying all at the same time...I’m listening to it today so not sure what “page” I’m up to but “the poop story” had me in stitches!!! 🤣🤣🤣 I used to live in SE Asia...so yeah totally relatable and now I understand all the signs in the malls that have a western toilet with a person trying to squat in it with a red line through it!!! I used to wonder who in their right mind would try such a feat?!? Now I know!
I’m loving this conversation - and this book - so very much. It’s making me think about where, if anywhere, the line between writing and storytelling lies. And what makes something a ‘children’s book.’
And the food! Cheers to rice pudding… my forever favorite.
I’m curious to see what this story has to say about cultural identity and coming of age. I’m so tired of pop culture’s unicorn messaging (re. CIRCE’s article by Joshua Gibbs in 2019 reposted yesterday). I’m actually at an ASL immersion workshop (as the parent of a deaf child but it’s primarily for teachers and professionals who work with DHH students), and in these environments I’m always confronted with some instruction cased in today’s aggressive social justice and victim mentality. The hopeless, faithless confusion and malaise it generates is frustrating to me. My daughter is deaf but not really a part of Deaf culture - like a second-generation citizen in a way. All that to say, I’m curious where truth comes in to the stories we tell about ourselves, our past, and our suffering (that quote from Nayeri’s interview!). And I hope this is a YA book that is hopeful and redemptive.
Side note: Close Read podcast offshoot - Close Eats 🤪😂 Seriously though, I would probably listen! My husband does most of the cooking, but I have poached chicken before 💪🏽
What was the name of that cookbook?
We mentioned Yotam Ottolenghi’s “Jerusalem.”
https://amzn.to/46MBRU5
Oh, ha. I thought Jerusalem was "Jerry Sloane." No wonder I couldn't find it. And on sale for almost half-price. I heard him on Splendid Table.Thanks.
Do any of you live or have any of you lived in another country for a long period of time? I have been in France for 35 years and I really feel this book is about capturing the memories of your homeland. I have not come to the end of the book yet but I really feel this book because I tell very similar stories to my kids who are now adults and to my grandchildren about what being an American was like for me.
We lived in Germany for the early years of my daughter’s life, and I felt that way too!
It's really touching for me because one of my close friends came to the states when the shah was deposed in 79 and some of his reflections in the book are like listening to my friend
There is so much to love about this book. One of the things that is wonderful is that I feel it draws the reader into conversation with it. I find myself remembering similar life experiences on the one hand and sitting in awe as he shared memories for which I have no personal experience. He has the ability to tap into the points of connection, drawing me further in and thus preparing me to sit with him through the painful memories he has.
Speaking to fictionalized truth, his comment that 1,001 Arabian Nights has no definitive canon, that there are many versions of the same story and incomplete stories is so important for entering into his story. It helped me to place his stories into the context of the myths and stories he is sharing. I also loved how he picked up stories, didn’t finish them, and resumed later.
My heart goes out to him in his desire to connect with his extended family, deceased and distant. My daughter has an imaginary friend, but hers is a bit unusual because it is her great-grandmother. She loves to tell me about the things she has done with her great-grandma and what she did at her house. The funny thing is that she only met her once, when she was 1 year old and my grandma was 101. We tell her about that day often, as it was my grandmother’s last good, lucid day and she fed her Cheerios. It was wonderful. She died a couple months later. My sons often want to correct her, and part of me is inclined to, but another part wants her to have that relationship with her great-grandmother. After all, she relit her spark for a few hours that day, why not let Great-Grandma go on roller coasters in my daughter’s imagination?
I first listened to this book after listening to Nayeri’s interview on the Withywindle podcast and it soared to the top of my favorite-books list! I read to my nieces and nephews (lower elementary to early teens) so I was encouraged by the conversation you all had about age-appropriateness. There are plenty of heart-wrenching moments! But there are so many great reasons I think every teen should read and discuss this beautiful story.
One of those reasons is Nayeri’s navigation of cross-cultural differences. He’s trying to hold on to his own culture while navigating and adjusting to the new. I grew up in the US and had no idea the kind of experiences cross-cultural kids faced. After college, I worked in Asia and now live in the UK. When my American co-workers go back to visit the States with their children, they face the same frustrations. There’s a part of the story when Nayeri is trying to describe his favorite candy bar and the other children liken it to an American candy bar. This kind of experience is so real for the kids I know. They are trying to connect with Americans without giving up their culture entirely. This book so graciously exposes this issue while providing the opportunity for the reader to adjust his/her way of interacting with those from a different cultural background.
I agree I read this with my 10 year old and 12 year old and we had so many amazing conversations. The suffering was hard for them (and me) but it helped us grow in empathy and faith.
Oh yes. Read my comments below. I raised all my kids in France and they really had a culture of their own.
First (of many) comments:
I also listened to an audio recording of this book and loved it. When I chose it for my guided discussion Lit class, I read a physical copy of it… and wasn’t sure what to think. The odd paragraph breaks and the format are well-suited to a read-aloud but are a little skippy to actually read.
However.
While I enjoyed listening to it so very much, I think I got more out of holding it and reading the written word. By the end of the book, I was glad I had both listened to AND read it. It’s either a book that you should enjoy in both formats, or it just holds up well to a re-read, no matter which one you choose:)