A Very Large Expanse of the Sea by Tahereh Mafi

 

A Very Large Expanse of the Sea by Tahereh Mafi

         Mafi, T. (2019). A very large expanse of sea. Harper. ISBN 9780062866561

Sixteen-year-old Shirin has had more than her fair share of unjust situations in her life, even more so as a Muslim girl living in America in a fresh post-9/11 world.  Shirin has learned that to survive, she must shut everything out, including those close to her.  Her plan to shut everyone out works until she meets Ocean James, someone determined to get to know who Shirin is. They fall for each other before they both know it, but when their worlds collide, they must decide how far they are willing to go for each other.

I loved A Very Large Expanse of the Sea.  I had been hesitant to read it because I had tried to read Tahereh Mafi's other series, Shatter Me, but it had not been my type of read.  A Very Large Expanse of the Sea is a perfect example of why you should not judge a book by its cover or, in this case, by its author! A Very Large Expanse of the Sea is a powerfully written, raw story about what life as a Muslim in a post-9/11 world must have been like.  Mafi does not shy away from writing it how it must have been by detailing scenes where Shirin and her family faced prejudice, stereotypes, and bigotry multiple times throughout the book.  Shirin herself is a very well-written character, and while she starts off the book very closed off guarded, as readers learn more about her, her reactions make sense.  Learning about incidents like where she was attacked, at a point in the book where readers are beginning to care for Shirin, makes it even more impactful because readers are angry about what Shirin (and others) are going through.  By the time she and Ocean get together, readers are rooting for them because these well-written characters deserve happiness. When both characters are facing experiences of racism (in their own ways), readers are furious that Ocean and Shirin can't be happy because even the adults are blatantly racist.  There were multiple instances in the book, where I as the reader thought, "This is so messed up" because of the range of emotions that were being evoked while reading.  Anyone who reads A Very Large Expanse of the Sea needs to be ready for the rollercoaster of emotions they will feel, but it is because of those emotions that A Very Large Expanse of the Sea is a book everyone needs to read!

A Very Large Expanse of the Sea is a book that is rich with cultural references.  Throughout the title, mentions such as Persian food, Shirin's parents speaking Farsi, strong family values, and Shirin's hijab are some of the more evident, positive examples of culture.  Being that the title takes place post 9/11, though, also highlights some of the negative experiences that resulted after 9/11, such as the frequency of racism, Islamophobia, verbal and physical attacks, and much more.  These adverse incidents are not always limited to young characters.  For instance, there was a scene where Ocean’s (adult) basketball coach was threatening Shirin to break up with Ocean while being blatantly racist.  While that was a blood-boiling scene to read, it highlights the fact that even adults can and will be racist, and while unfortunate, that is the reality even in today’s world.

What do readers think of A Very Large Expanse of the Sea? Kirkus Reviews states that A Very Large Expanse of the Sea is a “gripping political romance [that] takes readers into the life of young Muslim women trying to navigate high school with the entire world attacking her right to her body and faith.” If reading A Very Large Expanse of the Sea left you feeling a particular way, research more about Shirin culture and how 9/11 affected the treatment of a vast group of people.  For any teachers, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum website has a good lesson covering Muslims in America after 9/11 that is in two parts that can be accessed here.  If you enjoyed A Very Large Expanse of the Sea, you may also enjoy An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi.

Awards and Honors for A Very Large Expanse of the Sea

• National Book Award Longlist

References

9/11 Memorial & Museum. (n.d.). Muslims in America after 9/11, part I. Muslims in America after 9/11, Part I | National September 11 Memorial & Museum. https://www.911memorial.org/learn/students-and-teachers/lesson-plans/muslims-america-after-911-part-i

A very large expanse of sea. Kirkus Reviews. (2018, October 16). https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/tahereh-mafi/a-very-large-expanse-of-sea/

Mafi, T. (2019). A very large expanse of sea. Harper. ISBN 9780062866561