The release date for the English version of 'A Very Large Expanse of Sea' by
Tahereh Mafi is Oct 2018. If you enjoy this novel, it is available for buy as a paperback from Barnes & Noble or Indigo, as an ebook on the Amazon Kindle store, or as an audiobook on Audible.
A year has passed after 9/11 in 2002. Political unrest is rife right now, but it's particularly acute for individuals like sixteen-year-old Shirin, a Muslim girl who is fed up with stereotypes.
Shirin never finds it surprising how awful individuals can be. She is sick of being the target of offensive looks, hurtful remarks, and even physical assault because of her ethnicity, faith, and the headscarf she wears every day. She has so erected barriers to keep people away from her so they can't harm her. Rather, she uses music as a way to numb her frustrations and spends her afternoons breakdancing with her brother.
She then meets Ocean James, however. He seems to be the first person in a very long time who really wants to get to know Shirin. They appear to be from two different worlds, which worries her. Shirin has been on guard for so long that she's not sure she'll ever be able to let it down.