An Impossible Thing to Say: A Persian American teen in Tucson turns to rap and rhyme to find his voice amid first love, family secrets, and post-9/11 fear

The Poet X meets A Very Large Expanse of Sea in a bold novel-in-verse starring a Persian American teen navigating his first crush, his family’s post-9/11 dynamics, and the role of language in defining who we are.

“A dazzling story with a whole lot of heart. Read it.” —Michael L. Printz Award winner Daniel Nayeri, author of Everything Sad Is Untrue

Omid needs the right words to connect with his newly met grandfather and distant Iranian heritage, words to tell a special girl what she means to him and to show everyone that he truly belongs in Tucson, Arizona, the only home he’s ever known. Neither the school play’s Shakespearean English nor his parents’ Farsi seems up to the task, and it’s only when Omid delves into the rhymes and rhythms of rap music that he starts to find his voice. But even as he does so, an act of terrorism transforms familiar accents into new threats.

Then a family member disappears, and it seems everyone but Omid knows why. When words fail altogether and violence takes their place, what will Omid do next?

Praise for An Impossible Thing to Say:

• “Funny on one page, poignant on the next, this beautiful tale of a tender, bewildered, and generous teen will find its way into readers’ hearts.” —#1 New York Times bestselling writer and Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park, author of A Long Walk to Water
• “Tender, honest, and unforgettable, filled with characters that delight, verses that shine. Few books have ever made me feel so seen.” —Adib Khorram, award-winning author of Darius the Great Is Not Okay
• “Sensitively felt, beautifully rendered, and expertly crafted, like a pocket universe where every first-generation American kid gets to feel seen. On my shortlist of books I feel grateful to have read.” —Alexene Farol Follmuth, bestselling author of Twelfth Knight
• “Arya Shahi just blew the door down on how we are allowed to tell our stories.” —Firoozeh Dumas, New York Times bestselling author of Funny in Farsi and It Ain't So Awful, Falafel

Arya Shahi is an Iranian-American playwright, poet, and rapper. He is the co-founder of PigPen Theatre Co., an award-winning theatre company and band. With PigPen, Arya has written, directed, and performed in original plays (including The Old Man and the Old Moon) as well as books adapted for stage (including Kate DiCamillo’s The Tale of Despereaux). PigPen’s album Bremen was released in 2012, followed by Whole Sun in 2015. Arya lives in Brooklyn. www.aryashahi.com