First published 1996
Thirteen-year-old Hand's world shatters when his father dies. Abandoned by his mother, he resents her return and suspects his mysterious uncle in his father's death. But as two Iranian immigrants seek refuge at the family's rundown motel, Hand finds solace in small acts of kindness, finally confronting his own grief and guilt.
Genres: literary-fiction, grief, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, grief
Setting: Iran
Period: 21st-century
176 pages · Hardcover · Clarion Books