PIECE BY PIECE

After a traumatic experience, Nisrin decides to wear a hijab; however, the road to asserting her identity is not that simple.

It’s 2002 in Oregon, and anti-Muslim sentiments are on the rise. Muslim Bangladeshi American Nisrin and her best friend, Firuzeh, who is cued as Iranian and Black, become victims of a gruesome hate crime at the end of eighth grade. Afterward, Nisrin, who lives with her single mother and maternal grandparents, slowly recuperates physically and mentally. When she enters high school, Nisrin decides to wear the hijab, partly as an act of resistance. This is met with a mix of concern and strong disapproval, especially from her domineering grandfather. Neither Nisrin’s mother nor grandmother are hijabi, and Nisrin herself only starts actively learning about Islam after this point. She struggles at school with discrimination from teachers and fellow students alike, made worse because Firuzeh seems to be avoiding her as well. As family tensions rise, Nisrin learns more about her family’s past and Bangladeshi history, context that helps her understand her family’s complicated feelings about her decision. This gripping graphic novel is fast-paced and dramatic, with full-color illustrations that intensify the heightened emotions. The darkness is tempered by a happy ending, with friendships—both old and new—blossoming, a family growing closer, and a teenager finding more peace in her own skin.

Remarkable storytelling presents a multilayered struggle around identity and power in an anti-Muslim climate.