An Emotion of Great Delight

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.

In a world determined to break her, can Shadi reclaim her right to joy?

• Post 9/11 Fiction: Set in 2003, this story captures the turmoil of a nation at war and the targeted prejudice faced by a young Muslim American teen.
• Intense Family Drama: With her brother gone, her father dying, and her mother self-destructing, Shadi must navigate the wreckage of a family torn apart by tragedy.
• Best Friend’s Brother: The one person she’s tried to forget is the only one who seems to see her. But reconnecting with Ali means confronting a painful past and betraying her former best friend.
• A Raw Look at Mental Health: A powerful and unflinching exploration of a teen grappling with overwhelming sorrow, her mother’s breakdown, and the struggle to find hope when you feel invisible.