Description

"An emotional tale of a family’s grief and healing, full of courage and hope" —Kirkus Reviews

"Faruqi renders this tender story of loss with a deft hand, employing vivid details surrounding Adnan’s Pakistani Muslim identity . . . and nuanced characterizations to present a tear-jerking ode to family." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A realistic, moving exploration of family, loss, and healing." —ALA Booklist

"Faruqi takes on the difficult subject of family loss with beauty and grace in her gentle lyrical style. She allows Adnan, a young table tennis enthusiast, to go through grief while holding not just sadness but love and joy, in an honest and nuanced story that is ultimately filled with hope." —Veera Hiranandani, Newbery Honor author of The Night Diary

For fans of Planet Omar and The Ethan I Was Before, award-winning Pakistani author Reem Faruqi of Unsettled delivers a middle grade novel in verse about table tennis player Adnan, who dreams of the championship and a fun-filled family trip to Florida. But when tragedy strikes, he and his family must cope with a terrible loss and come together as one again. This poignant story about a Muslim family learning to heal is hope-filled and moving. Now in paperback!

Adnan Zakir loves table tennis. He's also colorblind and left-handed and has a fondness for the aviation alphabet. He's super close with his sister, Aaliyah, who is a great dancer and memorizer of the Quran, and he loves his little toddler brother, Rizwan, who only wants to grow up and play table tennis like his big brother.

All Adnan dreams of is making it to the Ultimate Table Tennis Championship in Florida, and if he qualifies for the tournament, he knows he will get to spend the Eid holiday with his cousins. But when the family travels there, unthinkable tragedy strikes, and Adnan swears he'll never play table tennis ever again. Slowly, he and his family must learn to make peace and move forward, as a family.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection pick!

A story of a brother’s love, a family’s heartbreak, and the long road back to hope.

Novel in Verse: Adnan’s emotional journey is told through powerful, lyrical prose that’s both accessible and deeply moving. Coping with Sibling Loss: A tender and honest exploration of what happens when a family loses its youngest member, and a boy blames himself for the tragedy. Pakistani American & Muslim Voices: Experience the close-knit world of a loving Pakistani Muslim family as their faith and traditions guide them through unimaginable heartbreak. A Powerful Sports Story: Follow a talented young table tennis player who abandons his passion after tragedy and must find his way back to the game he loves.