Editorial content for Rooftops of Tehran
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Pasha and his best friend, Ahmed, spend a lot of time on the roof during the Iranian summer of 1973. It's the last summer of their youth, and for them, life is simple --- there are games to be played, girls to be admired, and the final year of school to muse over. Each night before falling asleep they name stars after friends and family, a ritual they've shared since childhood. This is also the summer when their lives will take a dramatic turn. Read More
About the Book
In a middle-class neighborhood of Iran’s sprawling capital city, 17-year old Pasha Shahed spends the summer of 1973 on his rooftop with his best friend Ahmed, joking around one minute and asking burning questions about life the next. He also hides a secret love for his beautiful neighbor Zari, who has been betrothed since birth to another man. But the bliss of Pasha and Zari’s stolen time together is shattered when Pasha unwittingly acts as a beacon for the Shah’s secret police. The violent consequences awaken him to the reality of living under a powerful despot, and lead Zari to make a shocking choice…
In this poignant, funny, eye-opening and emotionally vivid novel, Mahbod Seraji lays bare the beauty and brutality of the centuries-old Persian culture, while reaffirming the human experiences we all share.
Please click here to find out how you can schedule a chat between Mahbod and your reading group.
**Rooftops of Tehran was selected as an Indie Next List Notable Book for June 2009.**
May 8, 2009
Remember back in September when my son went off to college and I wrote how much “stuff” we moved to school? Well, it's now all back at the house --- and I feel like it arrived back here in a heartbeat! Yes, last night in an act that I think should solidify Mother's Day as a bonafide weeklong holiday, I drove over to the campus from the office, opened the back of my car, and in went boxes and boxes of dishes, pots, pans, clothes and computer/stereo equipment. And the paper shredder he inherited from his roommate who is not returning next fall, which was taking things full circle since his roommate’s mom picked that up the first day of school when we did some last-minute shopping together.
May 6, 2009
I just got back from Dublin, and it was one of the best trips of my life. It was my first time there (plus, it was a birthday celebration), and the people there are some of the friendliest people I've ever met. First, I've got to say thanks to Stephen Robson of Fanfare Books for his recommendation of three comics shops to visit while I was in town. That's one of the best things about traveling anywhere: seeing the local book and comics stores. (Thanks also to one of our readers, Tara, for emailing me with comic shop suggestions in Dublin --- they all came in handy.)
