An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi

It’s 2003, the US officially declared war on Iraq and the American political world evolved. Hate crimes are on the rise, 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 soldiering through, each day retreating farther and farther inside herself until finally, one day, everything changes. She explodes.