The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue

A heart-wrenching story about grief, identity, and finding your way back to colour — from Zoulfa Katouh, author of the global bestseller As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow.

I can do this. I am brave. I am Jihad.

Jihad always used to be surrounded by a burst of colour, but grief has left her in an eternally grey world. Joining a new school offers no respite, as her hijab and even her name make the other students suspicious.

Only new classmate Jamie seems truly kind, but it's hard for Jihad to trust anyone after what she's experienced. As tension mounts, her only comfort is found in recreating the stories she's inherited from her mama in the pages of her sketchbook.

Can Jihad become as resilient as the real meaning of her name and let the colour back into her life?

Praise

“A modern classic.” — Ann Liang

About the author

Zoulfa Katouh is the author of the global bestseller As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow, a Goodreads Choice Award finalist and one of the most acclaimed young adult novels of recent years. A Syrian-Canadian writer, she holds a master's degree in drug sciences and writes stories that centre love, hope, and resilience in the face of loss. She is one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary YA fiction.

Perfect for readers of

Angeline Boulley, Elizabeth Acevedo's The Poet X, Sabaa Tahir's All My Rage, and anyone who loves emotionally powerful young adult fiction about identity, grief, and belonging.