Diana Farid Livres

A coming-of-age novel in verse set in 1980s Southern California, about a Persian American girl who rides the waves, falls, and finds her way back to the shore Thirteen-year-old Ava loves to surf and to sing. Singing and reading Rumi poems settle her mild OCD, and catching waves with her best friend, Phoenix, lets her fit in--her olive skin looks tan, not foreign. But then Ava has to spend the summer before ninth grade volunteering at the hospital, to follow in her single mother's footsteps to become a doctor. And when Phoenix's past lymphoma surges back, not even surfing, singing, or poetry can keep them afloat, threatening Ava's hold on the one place and the one person that make her feel like she belongs. With ocean-like rhythm and lyricism, Wave is about a girl who rides the waves, tumbles, and finds her way back to the shore.

A poetic and visually breathtaking look at what happens inside your body when you breatheWhat happens when you breathe? In this beautiful book, breath—the very air, stardust, the grand molecules of the universe—blossoms in the upside-down tree in your rising chest, animating and enlivening you. And when you breathe out, you send your song out into the world.

The story follows a young girl and her family as they embark on an unexpected journey, leaving their familiar home behind. Traveling on foot, they navigate various landscapes and ultimately arrive in a new city that starkly contrasts their previous life. This exploration highlights themes of resilience, adaptation, and the emotional challenges of starting over in an unfamiliar environment.