He’s kind, good-natured, insecure - all the things that make being a teenager so challenging.

The story unfolds through Darius’ affectingly honest and vulnerable voice. There’s his intimidating grandfather, the unexpected surprise of his very loving grandmother, assorted aunts, uncles, and cousins - and the boy next door who just might become Darius’ first real friend and ally. His anxiety about the trip slowly increases, and he’s understandably apprehensive about meeting his extended family.

Plus, he doesn’t fit in at home, so how can he possibly feel a sense of belonging in Iran? He can spit out some lines in Klingon, but he knows zero Faris, unlike his little sister. Now his parents have announced that the family will soon travel to Iran to visit his dying grandfather.ĭarius knows way more about The Hobbit and Star Trek: The Next Generation than he does about his Persian heritage. He’s nerdy, overweight, really (really) into tea, lonely, and depressed. But our Darius feels anything but mighty. Sohrab calls him Darioush-the original Persian version of his name-and Darius has never felt more like himself than he does now that he's Darioush to Sohrab.Our hero Darius may be named for Darius I, the third Persian King of Kings. And he understands that sometimes, friends don't have to talk. He gets Darius an Iranian National Football Team jersey that makes him feel like a True Persian for the first time.

Sohrab introduces Darius to all of his favorite things-mint syrup and the soccer field and a secret rooftop overlooking the city's skyline. Then Darius meets Sohrab, the boy next door, and everything changes. His clinical depression doesn't exactly help matters, and trying to explain his medication to his grandparents only makes things harder. He's a Fractional Persian-half, his mom's side-and his first-ever trip to Iran is about to change his life.ĭarius has never really fit in at home in Portland, and he just knows things are going to be the same in Iran. Darius doesn’t think he’ll ever be enough, in America or in Iran.ĭarius Kellner speaks better Klingon than Farsi, and he knows more about Hobbit social cues than Persian ones.

Darius the great is not okay