A Very Large Expanse of Sea

Tahereh Mafi

Set in 2002, a year after 9/11, this contemporary YA novel follows Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Iranian-American Muslim girl who wears a hijab and has grown weary of moving schools and facing constant prejudice. When she unexpectedly connects with Ocean, a popular boy at her new school, she must decide whether to let her guard down despite the risks their relationship poses given the hostile climate around them. The story blends a tender first-love romance with a hard look at Islamophobia, racism, and bigotry in post-9/11 America, and is loosely inspired by the author's own teenage experiences.