A Very Large Expanse of Sea

It's 2002, a year after 9/11. It's an extremely turbulent time politically, but especially so for someone like Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl who's tired of being stereotyped. Shirin is never surprised by how horrible people can be. She's tired of the rude stares, the degrading comments -even the physical violence -she endures as a result of her race, her religion, and the hijab she wears every day. But then she meets Ocean James. He's the first person in forever who really seems to want to get to know Shirin.