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Gossip was rife in the capital about the poetess of Qazvin. Some
claimed she had been arrested for masterminding the murder of the
grand Mullah, her uncle. Others echoed her words, and passed her
poems from hand to hand. Everyone spoke of her beauty, and her
dazzling intelligence. But most alarming to the Shah and the court
was how the poetess could read. As her warnings and predictions
became prophecies fulfilled, about the assassination of the Shah,
the hanging of the Mayor, and the murder of the Grand Vazir, many
wondered whether she was not only reading history but writing it as
well. Was she herself guilty of the crimes she was foretelling? Set
in the world of the Qajar monarchs, mayors, ministers, and mullahs,
this book explores the dangerous and at the same time luminous
legacy left by a remarkable person. Bahiyyih Nakhjavani offers a
gripping tale that is at once a compelling history of a pioneering
woman, a story of nineteenth century Iran told from the street
level up, and a work that is universally relevant to our times.
Lili and Goli have argued endlessly about where their mother,
Bibijan, should live since the Iranian Revolution. They disagree
about her finances too, which remain blocked as long as she insists
on waiting for her son-still missing but not presumed dead yet-to
return from the Iran-Iraq war. But once they begin to "share" the
old woman, sending her back and forth between Paris and Los
Angeles, they start asking themselves where the money might be
coming from. Only their Persian half-sister in Iran and the
Westernized granddaughter of the family have the courage to face up
to the answers, and only when Bibijan finally relinquishes the past
can she remember the truth. A story mirrored in fragmented lives,
Us&Them explores the ludicrous and the tragic, the venal and
the generous-hearted aspects of Iranian life away from home. It is
a story both familial and familiar in its generational tensions and
misunderstandings, its push and pull of obligations and
expectations. It also highlights how "we" can become "them" at any
moment, for our true exile is alienation from others. Acclaimed
author Bahiyyih Nakhjavani offers a poignant satire about
migration, one of the vital issues of our times.
Lili and Goli have argued endlessly about where their mother,
Bibijan, should live since the Iranian Revolution. They disagree
about her finances too, which remain blocked as long as she insists
on waiting for her son-still missing but not presumed dead yet-to
return from the Iran-Iraq war. But once they begin to "share" the
old woman, sending her back and forth between Paris and Los
Angeles, they start asking themselves where the money might be
coming from. Only their Persian half-sister in Iran and the
Westernized granddaughter of the family have the courage to face up
to the answers, and only when Bibijan finally relinquishes the past
can she remember the truth. A story mirrored in fragmented lives,
Us&Them explores the ludicrous and the tragic, the venal and
the generous-hearted aspects of Iranian life away from home. It is
a story both familial and familiar in its generational tensions and
misunderstandings, its push and pull of obligations and
expectations. It also highlights how "we" can become "them" at any
moment, for our true exile is alienation from others. Acclaimed
author Bahiyyih Nakhjavani offers a poignant satire about
migration, one of the vital issues of our times.
Gossip was rife in the capital about the poetess of Qazvin. Some
claimed she had been arrested for masterminding the murder of the
grand Mullah, her uncle. Others echoed her words, and passed her
poems from hand to hand. Everyone spoke of her beauty, and her
dazzling intelligence. But most alarming to the Shah and the court
was how the poetess could read. As her warnings and predictions
became prophecies fulfilled, about the assassination of the Shah,
the hanging of the Mayor, and the murder of the Grand Vazir, many
wondered whether she was not only reading history but writing it as
well. Was she herself guilty of the crimes she was foretelling? Set
in the world of the Qajar monarchs, mayors, ministers, and mullahs,
this book explores the dangerous and at the same time luminous
legacy left by a remarkable person. Bahiyyih Nakhjavani offers a
gripping tale that is at once a compelling history of a pioneering
woman, a story of nineteenth century Iran told from the street
level up, and a work that is universally relevant to our times.
All Baha'i parents face special problems in bringing up their
children in a world dominated by very different principles from
those governing a Baha'i society. This book meets those problems
head on, as it explores human nature and the rich theme of 'the
Covenant', with its implications for family and community.
Quotations from the Baha'i Writings tie the book closely to the
source of its inspiration, and the author's own imagination and
vitality build a bridge from ideals to everyday life. The author
comes from a distinguished Baha'i family and herself has a
daughter.
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Prison Poems (Paperback)
Mahvash Sabet; Translated by Bahiyyih Nakhjavani
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R551
Discovery Miles 5 510
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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Mahvash Sabet was once a leading figure in Iran's Baha'i community.
In 2010, having already been imprisoned for two-and-a-half years,
she was convicted of fabricated charges and sentenced to twenty
years imprisonment: an all-too-common fate for Baha'is in Iran.
These poems are her voice from prison.
A beautifully told, transcendent tale of truth, salvation, and the
power of desire.
"Nakhjavani's robust debut is a Chaucerian rondo . . . [with a
style] familiar from . . . early Salman Rushdie."
--James Urquhart, The London Times
An exploration in the Baha'i Writings of the dual nature of human
relationships. (World Religions)
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