Darius Kellner is what he likes to call a Fractional Persian because his mom is Persian as she was born and raised in Iran and his dad is white.  Darius suffers from depression and the feeling of not belonging.  He is often bullied at school and seen as a huge disappointment to his father.  They only thing they share together is watching Star Trek together nightly.

His family travels to Iran to visit his grandparents for the first time, as Darius’ grandfather (Babou) has a brain tumor.  There he meets Sohrab, a neighbor boy of his grandparents.  In Iran, Darius again struggles with fitting in as he does not know Farsi, the culture, and feels that he is a stranger in his own extended family.  However, he begins to find himself through his friendship with Sohrab and by learning about the culture through his loving grandparents and extended family.

This book is a beautiful story about a boy finding himself, friendship, family, and mental health.  I highly recommend it.