{"product_id":"in-the-country-i-love-9781682638101","title":"In the Country I Love","description":"\u003cb\u003eTwo Iraqi American best friends--a struggling teen father and the community's golden boy--confront dark truths about their families in the wake of a devastating crime in this heartrending YA debut.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAs a seventeen-year-old single dad and a soon-to-be high school drop-out, Yassir Al-Azzawi's lapsed Shia faith is just another thing convincing his parents he's a failure. One more mistake, and they'll send him back to their homeland, a war-torn Iraq. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eKhaled Al-Hakim is perfect on paper: devout in his faith, a straight-A student, and captain of the debate team. But beneath the surface, Khaled is no saint either, and his worst sin yet is ignoring his parents' command to stay away from Yassir. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhen their secret friendship is exposed, the consequences set off a series of events that cause family secrets from both sides to come to light, and neither Yassir nor Khaled are prepared to learn the stains that taint their family names. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eTold through multiple POVs across time, this authentic exploration of the Shia Muslim experience in the U.S. seamlessly combines classic YA themes of identity, coming-of-age, and relationships with timely social themes of racism, Islamophobia, and justice. This compelling, contemporary debut is perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir's \u003ci\u003eAll My Rage\u003c\/i\u003e and Markus Zusak's \u003ci\u003eThe Book Thief\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Alaa Al-Barkawi\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Peachtree Teen\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/26\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 384\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.10lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.12h x 5.21w x 1.35d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781682638101\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAudience:\u003c\/b\u003e Young Adult\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/01\/2026 pg. 75\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/01\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBulletin of Ctr for Child Bks\u003c\/i\u003e 04\/01\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/01\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlaa Al-Barkawi is a first-generation, Iraqi American Shia Muslim writer. She is the co-runner of QuillersSWANA, a literary organization dedicated to Southwest Asian and North African writers, and serves as a Literary Peace Ambassador for Threads of Peace. Alaa holds a master's degree from Johns Hopkins University and has worked with refugee and immigrant students for nearly a decade. \u003ci\u003eIn the Country I Love\u003c\/i\u003e is her debut novel. Visit her website at AlaaWrites.com and follow her on Instagram @AlaaAlBarkawi.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"Alaa Al-Barkawi \/ Hardcover \/ English","offer_id":48363664572573,"sku":"9781682638101","price":23.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/files\/img_745eecd0-cbaf-49ee-8f6d-6a3a94b02763.jpg?v=1780428349","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/in-the-country-i-love-9781682638101","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}