The Strongest Heart

Gr 5 Up–Faruqi’s latest takes a deep dive into what it’s like living with a parent experiencing mental illness. Mo is an eighth grader with a secret: he lives with a monster. The monster, Abbu (dad), is prone to outbursts, criticizes Mo fiercely, hallucinates, and hears voices. His mom is in Greece helping refugee children, leaving Mo alone with the monster. When Mo and the monster go to live with his aunt and cousin, he slowly learns that Abbu has schizophrenia. As Mo adjusts to life in Texas, he deals with school bullies, bonds with his cousin, and navigates the anger and resentment he feels for his parents. With the help of his aunt, his biology teacher, and his growing Muslim faith, Mo starts to think maybe he’s been wrong about his dad. When his dad is hospitalized following a really bad episode, Mo is forced to confront whether Abbu is really a monster or just ill. Faruqi draws on her own experiences with her father’s mental illness and gives Mo the support she wishes she’d had via his aunt Naila, making this a story that will grip students from the beginning. Faruqi also uses the Middle Eastern folktales that Mo loves sharing to further explain the lessons he’s learning. The scenes where readers see Abbu’s episodes are written to show how scary they are for Mo without being overwhelming for middle school readers.