2003: the US has officially declared war on Iraq, and the American political world has evolved. Hate crimes are on the rise, FBI agents are infiltrating local mosques, and the Muslim community is harassed and targeted more than ever. Shadi, who wears hijab, keeps her head down. Her brother is dead, her father is dying, her mother is falling apart, and her best friend has dropped out of her life. And her heart is broken. Shadi devours her own pain, retreating farther inside herself until finally, one day, she explodes. -- adapted from jacket