It was a lovely moment in Adib Khorram's YA novel, "Darius the Great is Not Okay," the story about a boy who discovers who he is, and that he is okay with that, during a trip to Iran to visit his dying Babou.
Darius doesn't consider himself a true Persian. He doesn't speak Farsi like his mom and sister. He was born in Portland and has exactly one friend. Things change for him when he meets Sohrab, who may be the first true friend he ever had.
Darius is a funny, self-effacing narrator who walks the reader through Persian customs, celebrations, and food while trying to be okay with himself, his faults, and being a Fractional Persian. Meeting Sohrab may be the best thing that ever happened to him, and the story.
