In her author letter for The Strongest Heart, Saadia Faruqi says, "The Strongest Heart is my most personal story yet. It’s about a boy whose father has severe paranoid schizophrenia, whose mother has temporarily left the country, and whose life has been uprooted by a move to Houston, Texas. I, too, grew up under the care of a mentally ill father, and a mother who was emotionally, if not physically, absent. It took a deep toll not only on me as a child, but affected the adult I became, and the relationships I formed, including with my own parents and siblings."

Read on to hear more from Saadia about the inspriation behind her latest book and how she hopes it will help readers of all ages.

My latest novel The Strongest Heart is very personal. Like Mo, the main character, I grew up under the care of a mentally ill parent. Like Mo, I struggled to understand and accept my father, felt perpetually distanced from my mother, who worked nonstop to support us, and generally felt like a giant ball of fury and anxiety.

As an adult who writes stories in order to process emotions and experiences, I decided to use this book as a form of therapy. I let the story take over, watching events and feelings from decades ago become reshaped into a brand-new story.

Much of The Strongest Heart is plot and drama for the sake of story, but some of it is also real. The nightmares that Mo has were my own nightmares. The way he felt about his life, acting tough to hide his wounds, was all me.

More importantly, I wrote this book for kids who may be going through something similar. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than one in five U.S. adults live with mental illness. Consider what happens to the children who grow up in such homes, whether they have help or understanding or support? Whether they feel seen, or brave, or hopeful.

Chances are, they don’t.

Now, I know how pervasive mental illness really is. Whether schizophrenia, bipolar, depression, anxiety or anything else, so many adults struggle with this sort of silent, hidden disease. Their children suffer too, in ways that are often not spoken about due to shame and fear. They may feel shame or fear of repercussions if they ever tell anyone of the situation at home. They have emotional scars, or they may be caretakers of a mentally ill adult, burdens too heavy for their young shoulders.

In The Strongest Heart, I gave Mo something I never had: a wonderful found family. His aunt Naila is an incredible person who loves and supports him. His cousin Rayyan is more like a brother. His teacher Mr. Pigao, librarian Mr. Trent and mosque leader Imam Shamsi all provide positive role models, as well as safe spaces for Mo.

This found family offers him the courage to ask for help, not just for himself but also for his father.

I hope that young readers find hope through the pages of this story. I also hope that adults who may be teachers, librarians, neighbors, community members, counselors, or anyone else, also find ways to help the young people in their lives. Don’t be like my family, who just suffered in silence. Be that helping hand to someone else, ask questions, offer kindly advice, or a hug, if appropriate.

Talk about mental illness so that these kids know they’re not alone, and there’s nothing to be ashamed of.