Vendor
	Mohrbooks Literary Agency Sebastian Ritscher
Original language
English
Categories
Fiction & Related items

MONSTER CHILD

Rahela Nayebzadah

A timely debut novel from an Afghan refugee.

In her powerful debut novel Rahela Nayebzadah introduces three unforgettable young characters, Beh, Shabnam, and Alif.

Set in the spring of 2000, the novel tells the story of the Afshar family through the eyes of these three children. We watch these Afghan immigrants try to find their way in an often uncaring society. When a sexual assault on thirteen-year-old Beh unleashes the past and destroys the family, the reader is left wondering which one is the monster child.

The author came to Canada from Afghanistan via Iran when she was two, after the Russian invasion. She holds a doctorate in education from the University of British Columbia and lives in Vancouver with her husband and two small sons.

Available products
Book Published 2021-05-01 by Wolsak and Wynn

Comments

With irreverence, depth and a hint of magic, Nayebzadah introduces us to three Afghani Canadian teens whose family is on the brink of falling apart. There is violence and tragedy, but also humour and love. Monster Child is original and beautifully written, with a sense of wonder on every page. You have never read a story quite like this.

Throughout the book, Nayebzadah includes Afghani culture, a bit of magical realism, family secrets, and the sad reality of racism to make this story truly compelling.

Monster Child is a brief, intense attack of a novel capable of leaving one breathless and uncomfortably provoked - and this isn't a bad thing. Discomfort challenges you. It can change you.

Nayebzadah packs a complicated family history into this short novel, rife with trauma [...] from the beginning until the end.