October 31, 2022
On Long Island, an Afghan Uzbek 16-year-old uncovers family secrets while navigating grief in this paranormal ghost story by debut author Zargarpur. Sara Amani’s life is unraveling: her parents, Madar and Padar, have moved into different houses in preparation for a divorce, and her beloved maternal grandmother, Bibi Jan, has dementia. Sara used to confide in Bibi Jan, but now feels as if she has no one with whom to share her inner turmoil, so she buries her emotions and retreats from her cousins and friends. As a distraction, she assists with the family’s real estate business, photographing and helping Madar to flip an abandoned home. There, she sees an apparition of a young Bibi Jan. Desperate to uncover facets of her grandmother that she never knew, Sara delves into Bibi Jan’s past, but her new obsession sows worry within her community. Inspired by her own family history, Zargarpur pulls from multiple literary traditions, including Central Asian fairy tales, Western gothic novels, and contemporary immigration fiction, employing lyrical prose and harrowing ambiance to craft an eerie supernatural debut. The result is a dreamlike novel that engagingly examines grief, healing, and preserving the stories of the past. Ages 14–up. Agent: Elana Roth Parker, Laura Dail Literary.