Publisher Description
From the award-winning author of Amina’s Voice and Amina’s Song comes a tenderhearted middle grade novel about a young Pakistani American artist determined to manage her anxiety and forge her own creative path.
Deena’s never given a name to the familiar knot in her stomach that appears when her parents argue about money, when it’s time to go to school, or when she struggles to find the right words. She manages to make it through each day with the help of her friends and the art she loves to make.
While her parents’ money troubles cause more and more stress, Deena wonders if she can use her artistic talents to ease their burden. She creates a logo and social media account to promote her mom’s home-based business selling clothes from Pakistan to the local community. With her cousin and friends modeling the outfits and lending their social media know-how, business picks up.
But the success and attention make Deena’s cousin and best friend, Parisa, start to act funny. Suddenly Deena’s latest creative outlet becomes another thing that makes her feel nauseated and unsure of herself. After Deena reaches a breaking point, both she and her mother learn the importance of asking for help and that, with the right support, Deena can create something truly beautiful.
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About Hena Khan
Hena Khan is a Pakistani American writer. She is the author of the novel Amina’s Voice and the first three books in the Zayd Saleem, Chasing the Dream series: Power Forward, On Point, and Bounce Back. She has also written a number of picture books, including Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns, Under My Hijab, and It’s Ramadan, Curious George. Hena lives in Rockville, Maryland, with her husband and two sons.
About Reena Dutt
Sandy Rustin is an
actress and playwright. Her sketch comedy musical about parenthood, Rated P (For Parenthood), opened to
critical acclaim off Broadway at the Westside Theatre in 2012; her one-act
comedy, Fireworks, recently won the
seventh annual Nor’Eastern Playwriting competition; and her newest full length
play, The Cottage, was selected as
part of Midtown Direct Rep’s 2013 Theatre in the Loft Reading Series. A
graduate of Northwestern University, she currently lives in New York City.