Description

This young adult novel by Sheba Karim, author of Skunk Girl, is a funny and affecting coming-of-age story for fans of Jenny Han, Megan McCafferty, and Sara Farizan. A Kirkus Best Book of 2017!

Shabnam Qureshi is facing a summer of loneliness and boredom until she meets Jamie, who scores her a job at his aunt’s pie shack. Shabnam quickly finds herself in love, while her former best friend, Farah, who Shabnam has begun to reconnect with, finds Jamie worrying.

In her quest to figure out who she really is and what she really wants, Shabnam looks for help in an unexpected place—her family, and her father’s beloved Urdu poetry.

That Thing We Call a Heart is a funny and fresh story about the importance of love—in all its forms.

About the Author

Sheba Karim is the author of Mariam Sharma Hits the Road, That Thing We Call a Heart, and Skunk Girl. She is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and NYU School of Law and currently lives in Nashville. You can visit her online at www.shebakarim.com.

Praise For…

“Populated by complicated characters who are so well described readers will feel they might bump into them on the street, Karim’s second novel delivers on its title’s promise.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“[W]hat sets this funny, dialogue-heavy read apart is its nuanced examination of identity... Fans of Sara Zarr and Jenny Han and readers of realistic fiction will enjoy this thoughtful, witty offering.” — School Library Journal

“Funny, fresh, and poignant, Karim’s (Skunk Girl, 2009) novel is noteworthy for its authentic depiction of a Pakistani American teen coming of age and falling in love.” — Booklist

“This is a warm-hearted story that may encourage readers, like Shabnam, to find possibilities in greater human connections.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)