I Will Greet the Sun Again

I Will Greet the Sun Again is a poignant and evocative debut novel by Khashayar J. Khabushani that delves deep into the complex and delicate fibres of an Iranian-American family's dynamic. In the dead of night, three young brothers are abruptly taken from their Los Angeles home by their father, journeying to the unfamiliar and ancestral terrain of Iran. This displacement is marked by both a sense of adventure and an undertone of fear, as they are thrust into a culture and heritage they barely recognize. Their return to the Californian Valley months later is anything but smooth, finding themselves irrevocably altered by their experiences.

Under the glistening light of the California sun, the youngest brother, who serves as our protagonist, attempts to piece together the fragments of his broken childhood. His father's violence casts long shadows over his innocence, while his journey through adolescence is compounded by the discovery and concealment of his queer identity. This shy and secretive love affair with a boy he encounters on the basketball court becomes one of the novel's most tender yet heart-wrenching threads. Additionally, the protagonist grapples with his fluctuating status as a Muslim in post-9/11 America, facing prejudice and attempts to reconcile his heritage with the often unwelcoming society around him.

With a lyrical and open-hearted voice, I Will Greet the Sun Again paints an unforgettable portrait of a family being torn apart by internal and external forces, and a boy who rises from the metaphorical ashes, seeking identity, love, and a sense of belonging. Khabushani's prose shines with emotional honesty, drawing the reader into a world where the past and present are inextricably linked, and where the quest for self-discovery is fraught with pain but also fleeting moments of beauty and hope. This debut is not only a testament to the enduring spirit of resilience but an exploration of the powerful bonds that both make and break us.