Literary Fiction

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The Last Illusion

The Last Illusion

Porochista Khakpour

Born in a remote Iranian village, Zal spends the first ten years of his life imprisoned in a birdcage, his mother convinced that his unusually pale appearance marks him as a demon. Rescued and brought to New York, he must learn how to live among humans while struggling to understand who he is. Inspired by an ancient Persian myth, this imaginative novel weaves Iranian folklore into contemporary American life, exploring the boundaries between belonging and alienation, myth and reality, and the difficult journey toward selfhood.

Tehrangeles

Porochista Khakpour

The Milanis have everything money can buy: a sprawling Los Angeles mansion, a successful frozen-food empire, and four daughters ready for their close-up. When the wealthy Iranian American family lands a reality television deal, each sister sees an opportunity to claim the spotlight. Violet, an aspiring model, longs for love and acceptance; Roxanna, an ambitious influencer, thrives on attention; Mina, a sharp-witted overachiever, guards secrets of her own; and teenage Haylee dreams of becoming a wellness sensation. Their parents, Ali and Homa, have secrets they would rather keep hidden, too. But just as the cameras prepare to roll, political tensions, family revelations, and the COVID-19 pandemic threaten to unravel their carefully curated lives. With biting humour and unexpected tenderness, Tehrangeles satirises celebrity culture, social media, and the pursuit of the American dream while exploring the complicated realities of growing up Iranian American. Beneath the glitter and extravagance lies a story about family, identity, and the difference between being seen and being truly understood.

Martyr!

Martyr! follows Cyrus Shams, a young Iranian American poet struggling with addiction, grief, and questions about the meaning of life. Having grown up in the United States after his Iranian mother died when her passenger plane was shot down over the Persian Gulf, Cyrus feels disconnected from his heritage and uncertain about his place in the world. Newly sober, he becomes fascinated by martyrs throughout history, hoping to understand what makes a life meaningful and a death significant. His search leads him to investigate his family’s past, including the experiences of an uncle who comforted dying soldiers during the Iran–Iraq War. When Cyrus discovers the story of an ailing artist whose final days are being transformed into a work of art at the Brooklyn Museum, he begins to uncover unexpected connections to his own history. Blending humour, poetry, and philosophical reflection, Akbar’s novel explores cultural inheritance, addiction, faith, and the human desire to find purpose amid suffering and loss.

The Lion Women of Tehran

The Lion Women of Tehran

Set in Tehran across three transformative decades, The Lion Women of Tehran follows Ellie and Homa, two girls from different social backgrounds who form a close friendship in the 1950s. After her father’s death, Ellie moves with her mother to a poorer neighbourhood, where she meets Homa, an outspoken and ambitious girl who dreams of becoming a judge and fighting for women’s rights. The girls share their hopes for the future, but changing circumstances eventually separate them. When they reunite years later, their friendship is tested by political upheaval, personal ambition, and a devastating betrayal. Against the backdrop of Iran’s changing political landscape, Kamali explores female friendship, social inequality, and the consequences of choices made in moments of fear and uncertainty. The novel examines how childhood relationships shape adult identities and how forgiveness can become a path towards understanding and redemption.

Nights Are Quiet in Tehran

Nights Are Quiet in Tehran

The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran follows an Iranian family across four decades, exploring revolution, exile, identity, and the lasting effects of political upheaval. The story begins in 1979, when Behzad, a young communist revolutionary, fights for a new political order following the fall of the Shah. He falls in love with Nahid, an equally passionate young woman, but the rise of the Islamic Republic eventually forces them to flee to West Germany. Told through four family members’ perspectives in 1979, 1989, 1999, and 2009, the novel traces their struggles to build a new life while maintaining connections to their homeland. As the children grow up between cultures, questions of belonging, memory, and inherited political convictions become increasingly complex. Their experiences culminate against the backdrop of Iran’s 2009 Green Movement, which brings the family’s past and present into renewed tension. Through its shifting voices and generations, Bazyar explores how political events shape private lives and how the meaning of home changes across generations of migration and exile.