Everything Sad Is Untrue

(A True Story)

De: Daniel Nayeri

Narrado por: Daniel Nayeri

At the front of a middle-school classroom in Oklahoma, a boy named Khosrou (whom everyone calls "Daniel") stands, trying to tell a story. His story. But no one believes a word he says. To them he is a dark-skinned, hairy-armed boy with a big butt whose lunch smells funny; who makes things up and talks about poop too much.

But Khosrou's stories, stretching back years, and decades, and centuries, are beautiful, and terrifying, from the moment his family fled Iran in the middle of the night with the secret police moments behind them, back to the sad, cement refugee camps of Italy...and further back to the fields near the river Aras, where rain-soaked flowers bled red like the yolk of the sunset had burst over everything, and further back still to the jasmine-scented city of Isfahan.

Like Scheherazade in a hostile classroom, Daniel weaves a tale to save his own life: to stake his claim to the truth. And it is (a true story).

©2020 Daniel Nayeri (P)2020 Listening Library

must read must hear

every American should read this understand the plight of all immigrants no matter where they come from. This book was truly motivating I have already read twice

Read this book

This book is poignant and heartwarming and heart breaking. I highly recommend it. It is excellent.

Truly one of the best books ever

From the moment I started listening, I couldn't stop. so engaging, heart wrenching and beautiful. extremely well written and performed.

Absolutely wonderful

One of the best books I’ve listened! So hearty and warm and melancholic! Just beautiful!

Borderline life-changing

I hope it's not hyperbole to say that I've quite possibly never read a book as interesting and well written as this one. Daniel was able to tell his stories in a way that is relatable to practically anybody who might listen, and intersperses the book with little bits of wisdom that he's learned throughout his life. I am so thankful that he took the time to write this book.

Great story!

Listen in listener. You will be well served. I highly recommend this book to all.

A delightful ride!

I loved this book and want to listen again! It was a sweet and redemptive journey.

I won’t look at refugees quite the same

This book will have you crying, then laughing, then cry-laughing all in the same chapter. Daniel has an incredible ability to pull you so emotionally into the stories that you feel like you’re there as one of his classmates alongside all my assumptions and generalizations that I didn’t know were there.

Daniel does a wonderful service to all other refugees and immigrants. He reminds the world that when people are forcibly moved to a new place, they bring much more than the clothes on their back. They bring stories.

Open your heart and you will change

Some books are twizzlers - not worth much more than the pleasure during the consumption. Some are Krystal Burgers - not worth anything and you wonder why you continued consuming after the first minute. Others are pizzas - both pleasurable and providing something worthwhile to you. And then the occasional book manages to be Persian Fesenjan - delicious and fun, nutritious, and actually changes the way you see life. Because you cannot eat a delicious new food from a foreign cuisine and not begin to wonder about the chef and his culture. I am different because of Daniel. I have more hope, and a desire to listen. I want to know people’s stories and be one of the few who showed true hospitality throughout his story. Thank you, Daniel.

Second read-through

I read Everything Sad is Untrue several months ago and thought I had not enjoyed a book this much in many years. I wanted to read it again recently but didn’t have time so listened to this recording of it read by its magnificent author, Daniel Nayeri. It is a true delight!