Everything Sad Is Untrue

What is the story of love and how do you define it? What is the truth of love for you? If you could infer what the truth of love is for Daniel’s mom, what do you think it would be?

How is Daniel a dynamic character? What characters in his story would you consider static?

On p. 273, Mrs. Miller asks Daniel: “At the beginning of the year you said the truest thing about a person was whose blood they had in their heart... What happened?” What do you think Mrs. Miller is getting Daniel to realize here?

How does the class react to Daniel’s pause in the story to say that his father is coming to America? What does the reaction of the class help you to understand about the idea of truth as Daniel is trying to tell his? What are some of the truths his classmates have both in this section of text and in other places where they speak out?

Why does Daniel tell us about the lies he has told? What are the lies and do you agree or disagree with why he says he told them? What do you think would have happened if he had been honest?

What does Daniel mean when he says his teacher told him he has “lost the plot”? Do you agree or disagree with her assessment of his storytelling?

Who determines an author’s purpose and the choices they make for the way they craft their writing? Is there ever a correct or incorrect way of telling a story?

How does your relationship with Daniel change from the beginning of the book to the end of the book?

Read the author’s note to the reader after reading the novel. Consider what Daniel Nayeri is trying to tell us about what the truth means for everyone. Who owns the truth? Who decides what is truth and what is a lie?

Is everything that is sad untrue? Why or why not?