(W/A) Priya Huq
Nisrin is a 13-year-old Bangladeshi-American girl living in Milwaukie, Oregon, in 2002. At school, she gives a presentation for World Culture Day about Bangladesh while wearing a traditional cultural dress. On her way home, she is the victim of a hate crime when a man violently attacks her for wearing a headscarf. Deeply traumatized by the experience, Nisrin spends the summer depressed and isolated. The night before school starts, Nisrin makes a decision. She tells her family she's going to start wearing hijab, much to their dismay, which only strengthens her resolve. This choice puts Nisrin on a path to not only discover more about Islam, but also her family's complicated relationship with the religion, and the reasons they left Bangladesh. With the help from old friends and new, Nisrin is starting to figure out what really makes her happy.