The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue

The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue - Paperback

$78.83
Sale price  $78.83 Regular price 
Skip to product information
The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue

The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue - Paperback

$78.83
Sale price  $78.83 Regular price 
Details

by Zoulfa Katouh (Author)

From the celebrated author of As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow comes a poignant novel about a Syrian American girl who uses a magical sketchbook to turn her grief into art, painting miraculous murals of her mother's life in Syria.

Seventeen-year-old Jihad Dabbagh has always seen life with a heightened sense for colors, one of many magical blessings the women in her family possess. But Jihad's gift changes depending on her mood. When depression sets in, the world is a colorless oasis, and in the wake of her mother's sudden death, the world has become a permanent shade of grey.

Broken by tragedy, Jihad's family doesn't believe her color loss. Her father sends her to the elite Braxton Academy to finish her senior year. There, Jihad's name and hijab put a target on her back. Her haven comes in the form of an old sketchbook carved from a tree in her hometown in Syria--a country she only knew through her mother's stories. Jihad hasn't picked up a brush in over a year, but finds herself channeling the colors of her hurt, pain, and grief as she paints the story of her mother's journey in Syria.

When graffiti of that same mural starts magically popping up all over New York, her art goes viral and the world takes notice, the threat of legal consequences is imminent. To reclaim her voice, Jihad will have to paint a new future for herself and Braxton, guided by the resilience of her mother's story.

Author Biography

Zoulfa Katouh is the award-winning and bestselling author of the novel As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow and The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue. Her books have been translated into over twenty-five languages and As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow was a Governor General's Award finalist and a Yoto Carnegie Medal nominee. Zoulfa holds a degree in pharmacy and a master's in Drug Sciences. She resides in Switzerland where she lives as a Studio Ghibli protagonist who is surrounded by a never-ending stack of books that keeps growing.

Number of Pages: 580
Dimensions: 1.44 x 8.25 x 5.5 IN
Publication Date: June 02, 2026
Large Print: Yes

Materials + Care

We prioritize quality in selecting the materials for our items, choosing premium fabrics and finishings that ensure durability, comfort, and timeless appeal.

Shipping + Returns

We strive to process and ship all orders in a timely manner, working diligently to ensure that your items are on their way to you as soon as possible.

You might also like...