Rafi Anwar is a bright student and talented writer/artist. Friendly but reserved, especially in social situations, Rafi prefers observation and documentation over participation. His older brother Ash is a math whiz and captain of the varsity soccer team. Broodingly handsome and popular, Ash can be a tad remote, especially when dealing with his imaginative younger brother. Born to a Persian father and British mother, the boys moved from the Middle East to the States with their uncle Dani, a translator for the US military, when Rafi was seven and Ash nine. The three settled in Las Vegas, where Uncle Dani took a job as a casino dealer. And for a while, life was simple.Things take a turn in Rafi's freshman year when his third-period English Comp class receives an assignment to write about their feelings on the anniversary of 9/11-an event that occurred more than a decade before any of them were born.

A resourceful boy with a knack for storytelling, Rafi weaves a jaw-dropping tale of 9/11 retribution that features the complete obliteration of the Middle East at the hands of the United States and its allies. But when he is denied the opportunity to read his story aloud with the rest of his classmates, Rafi posts his controversial composition on the daily blog for all the school to see. Instead of reprimanding Rafi for his actions, the school counselor, Ms. Ensslin, tasks him to expand on his story: "There was a moment just before the end of your composition where you wrote of the hope in your father's eyes and how it gave you courage . I think there's more to that story, and I'd like you to finish telling it. I'd like to know what your father's hope gave you the courage to accomplish in your life over here."With these words of encouragement, Rafi embarks on a journey of discovery that will ultimately lead him to the Five Great Truths: life, love, hope, wisdom, and peace.