Darius isn't the kind of character that you see often in novels. He is half Persian and also struggles with depression. From the beginning of the book, Adib Khorram doesn't hesitate to write how Darius actually feels about different things in his life. For example, Darius doesn't have any friends and isn't too eager to talk to other people, even if he cares about them. When Darius meets Sohrab in Iran, they become friends and he begins to open up to him. Sohrab helps Darius to overcome his feeling that he isn't Persian enough and that his family doesn't want him there. Darius also ends up helping Sohrab deal with something that happens to him during the novel. This novel perfectly captured what it's like to feel like you aren't enough and how you can conquer it with a good friend.