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Parents' Guide to

An Emotion of Great Delight

By Mary Eisenhart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Love, turmoil in emotionally intense post-9/11 teen tale.

An Emotion of Great Delight Poster Image

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Tahereh Mafi's post-9/11 tale maintains an emotional fever pitch throughout, reflecting the turbulent inner conflicts of its 17-year-old narrator, who's dealing with prejudice and family tragedy. An Emotion of Great Delight finds Shadi trying to find her own path between tradition and uncharted territory, and along the way there's a lot of description and dialogue devoted to Persian culture and the Farsi language. Readers seeking an alternative to stories of normalized teen hookups will appreciate a romantic tale set in a conservative, straitlaced, religious culture where a kiss is a huge deal and there's plenty of tension to match.

Book Details

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