It Ain't So Awful, Falafel

"Set in the late 1970s this is a story about a girl from Iran trying to fit in to her new California home, a task made all the more difficult as the Iran hostage crisis unfolds. Dumas gives us plenty of lighthearted laughter while telling a story that still resonates with the difficult experience of many young immigrants today." - Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor

Zomorod (Cindy) Yousefzadeh is the new kid on the block . . . for the fourth time. California’s Newport Beach is her family’s latest perch, and she’s determined to shuck her brainy loner persona and start afresh with a new Brady Bunch name—Cindy. It’s the late 1970s, and fitting in becomes more difficult as Iran makes U.S. headlines with protests, revolution, and finally the taking of American hostages. Even mood rings and puka shell necklaces can't distract Cindy from the anti-Iran sentiments that creep way too close to home. A poignant yet lighthearted middle grade debut from the author of the best-selling Funny in Farsi.