Piece by Piece: The Story of Nisrin''s Hijab

In this middle-grade graphic novel, Nisrin will have to rely on faith, friends, and family to help her recover after she is the target of a hate crime

Nisrin is a 13-year-old Bangladeshi-American girl living in Milwaukie, Oregon, in 2002. As she nears the end of eighth grade, she gives a presentation for World Culture Day about Bangladesh while wearing a traditional cultural dress. On her way home, she is the victim of a hate crime when a man violently attacks her for wearing a headscarf.

Deeply traumatized by the experience, Nisrin spends the summer depressed and isolated. Other than weekly therapy, Nisrin doesnt leave the house until fall arrives and its time for her to start freshman year at a new school. The night before class starts, Nisrin makes a decision. She tells her family shes going to start wearing hijab, much to their dismay. Her mother and grandparents shocked and angry reactions confuse herbut they only strengthen her resolve.

This choice puts Nisrin on a path to not only discover more about Islam, but also her familys complicated relationship with the religion, and the reasons they left Bangladesh in the first place. On top of everything else, shes struggling to fit in at schoolher hijab makes her a target for students and faculty alike. But with the help from old friends and new, Nisrin is starting to figure out what really makes her happy. Piece by Piece is an original graphic novel about growing up and choosing your own path, even if it leads you to a different place than you expected.