Introducing memorable characters as he chronicles Ahmad’s family and pathway from childhood to esteemed poet to risk-taking politician, Araghi unfolds a poignant story of love, loss, and social upheaval ... A highly recommended literary page-turner worth a second reading; fans of Gabriel García Márquez will delight in this fantastical—and fantastic novel.
The novel successfully incorporates magic into the narrative without distraction or hyperbole ... However, the plotline involving cats falls flat ... Ahmad’s development as a flawed but real character with complex relationships, and the evolution of a city that can’t quite get its political footing are by far the biggest and most fascinating drivers of the novel ... If one is not up to snuff on their Iranian history, they would do well to brush up before cracking open the novel. While clear markers and well-rendered action indicate big events, the weight of these moments have more significance when the context is understood. The same can be said of the plot, which builds itself on Iranian history. Without good knowledge, readers may get lost. The benefit in Araghi’s approach, though, is that the novel is not a history lesson; rather, it asks its readers to look at how history and politics parlay into people’s lives. Araghi’s stunning novel embraces family and independence, political strife, and, despite its display of conflict, a profound love of Tehran and its history.
Following multiple generations, this family epic unfurls with elements of magical realism. Readers will enjoy Araghi’s vivid imagery and personification of complex histories.
Araghi’s impactful debut follows the rise of a poet with magical powers that emerge during the Iranian revolution ... While certain cultural and historical references may be lost on readers not familiar with Persian history and mythology, the narrative of Ahmad’s journey is engrossing. Araghi’s skillful combination of revolutionary politics and magical realism will please fans of Alejo Carpentier.
Ahmad’s professional and personal trek is compelling, but it also feels smothered by the competing storylines, which reflect Araghi’s urge to not miss a moment in Iran’s 20th-century history, from the postwar rise of Mohammed Mosaddegh to the 1953 coup to the shah’s exile. There are striking moments that capture the national drama (as when a tank crashes through a movie theater as if it were leaping off the screen), but Araghi is strongest at more intimate moments of courtship and parenting, and his zigzagging from blunt scenes of torture to magical realist imagery of Ahmad’s words cutting through metal makes the story feel lacking in a tonal center ... An admirable if overencumbered family saga.
