Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
WINNER: Le Prix du Roman News, Style Prize, Lire Best Debut Novel 2016, la Porte Doree Prize
Kimia Sadr fled Iran at the age of ten in the company of her mother and sisters to join her father in France. Now twenty-five and facing the future she has built for herself as well as the prospect of a new generation, Kimia is inundated by her own memories and the stories of her ancestors, which come to her in unstoppable, uncontainable waves. In the waiting room of a Parisian fertility clinic, generations of flamboyant Sadrs return to her, including her formidable great-grandfather Montazemolmolk, with his harem of fifty-two wives, and her parents, Darius and Sara, stalwart opponents of each regime that befalls them.
In this high-spirited, kaleidoscopic story, key moments of Iranian history, politics, and culture punctuate stories of family drama and triumph. Yet it is Kimia herself--punk-rock aficionado, storyteller extraordinaire, a Scheherazade of our time, and above all a modern woman divided between family traditions and her own "disorientalization"--who forms the heart of this bestselling and beloved novel.
- Setting: Paris, France; Tehran, Mazandran, and Qazvin, Iran
-Story of identity, citizenship + sexuality in contemporary French society
-Traces one Iranian family's history from before the Iranian Revolution to present
-Immigration and citizenship
Synopsis
WINNER: Le Prix du Roman News, Style Prize, Lire Best Debut Novel 2016, la Porte Dor e Prize Kimi Sadr fled Iran at the age of ten in the company of her mother and sisters to join her father in France. Now twenty-five and facing the future she has built for herself as well as the prospect of a new generation, Kimi is inundated by her own memories and the stories of her ancestors, which come to her in unstoppable, uncontainable waves. In the waiting room of a Parisian fertility clinic, generations of flamboyant Sadrs return to her, including her formidable great-grandfather Montazemolmolk, with his harem of fifty-two wives, and her parents, Darius and Sara, stalwart opponents of each regime that befalls them.
In this high-spirited, kaleidoscopic story, key moments of Iranian history, politics, and culture punctuate stories of family drama and triumph. Yet it is Kimi herself--punk-rock aficionado, storyteller extraordinaire, a Scheherazade of our time, and above all a modern woman divided between family traditions and her own "disorientalization"--who forms the heart of this bestselling and beloved novel.
Synopsis
Shortlisted for the 2018 National Book Awards
One of The Globe & Mail's Best Books of 2018
WINNER: Le Prix du Roman News, Style Prize, Lire Best Debut Novel 2016, la Porte Dor e Prize
Kimi Sadr fled Iran at the age of ten in the company of her mother and sisters to join her father in France. Now twenty-five and facing the future she has built for herself as well as the prospect of a new generation, Kimi is inundated by her own memories and the stories of her ancestors, which come to her in unstoppable, uncontainable waves. In the waiting room of a Parisian fertility clinic, generations of flamboyant Sadrs return to her, including her formidable great-grandfather Montazemolmolk, with his harem of fifty-two wives, and her parents, Darius and Sara, stalwart opponents of each regime that befalls them.
In this high-spirited, kaleidoscopic story, key moments of Iranian history, politics, and culture punctuate stories of family drama and triumph. Yet it is Kimi herself--punk-rock aficionado, storyteller extraordinaire, a Scheherazade of our time, and above all a modern woman divided between family traditions and her own "disorientalization"--who forms the heart of this bestselling and beloved novel.
Synopsis
WINNER 2019 ALBERTINE PRIZE
WINNER 2019 LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD
FINALIST 2018 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD
FINALIST 2019 CLMP FIRECRACKER AWARD
FINALIST 2019 BEST TRANSLATED BOOK AWARD
WINNER LE PRIX DU ROMAN NEWS
WINNER STYLE PRIZE
WINNER 2016 LIRE BEST DEBUT NOVEL
WINNER LA PORTE DOR E PRIZE
ONE OF THE GLOBE & MAIL'S BEST BOOKS OF 2018
In this high-spirited, kaleidoscopic story, key moments of Iranian history, politics, and culture punctuate stories of family drama and triumph.
Kimi Sadr fled Iran at the age of ten in the company of her mother and sisters to join her father in France. Now twenty-five and facing the future she has built for herself as well as the prospect of a new generation, Kimi is inundated by her own memories and the stories of her ancestors, which come to her in unstoppable, uncontainable waves. In the waiting room of a Parisian fertility clinic, generations of flamboyant Sadrs return to her, including her formidable great-grandfather Montazemolmolk, with his harem of fifty-two wives, and her parents, Darius and Sara, stalwart opponents of each regime that befalls them.
It is Kimi herself--punk-rock aficionado, storyteller extraordinaire, a Scheherazade of our time, and above all a modern woman divided between family traditions and her own "disorientalization"--who forms the heart of this bestselling and beloved novel.
Synopsis
At the heart of this sweeping saga of twentieth-century Iran is the unforgettable story of Kimi Sadr-punk-rock aficionado, storyteller extraordinaire, a modern Scheherazade divided between family traditions and her "disorientalization."
Kimi fled Iran at the age of ten in the company of her mother and sisters to join her father in France. Now twenty-five, she's inundated by her own memories and the stories of her ancestors. In the waiting room of a Parisian fertility clinic, generations of flamboyant Sadrs return to her, including her formidable great-grandfather Montazemolmolk, with his harem of fifty-two wives, and her parents, Darius and Sara, stalwart opponents of each regime that befalls them.
At once a sweeping saga of twentieth-century Iran and an intimate story of a young woman's determination to create a future on her own terms.
Synopsis
National Book Award Finalist: "A multigenerational epic of the Sadr family's life in Iran and their eventual exile . . . Full of surprises" (The Globe and Mail).
Winner of the 2019 Albertine Prize and Lambda Literary Award Kimi Sadr fled Iran at the age of ten in the company of her mother and sisters to join her father in France. Now twenty-five and facing the future she has built for herself, as well as the prospect of a new generation, Kimi is inundated by her own memories and the stories of her ancestors, which come to her in unstoppable, uncontainable waves. In the waiting room of a Parisian fertility clinic, generations of flamboyant Sadrs return to her, including her formidable great-grandfather Montazemolmolk, with his harem of fifty-two wives, and her parents, Darius and Sara, stalwart opponents of each regime that befalls them. It is Kimi herself--punk-rock aficionado, storyteller extraordinaire, a Scheherazade of our time, and above all a modern woman divided between family traditions and her own "disorientalization"--who forms the heart of this bestselling and beloved novel, recipient of numerous literary honors.
"Where initially Disoriental seems focused on Kimi 's father and his pro-democracy activism--first against the Shah, then the Ayatollah Khomeini--this is truly Kimi 's story of disorientation--national, familial and sexual--and finding herself again."--The Globe and Mail
"A tour de force of storytelling . . . Djavadi deftly weaves together the history of 20th-century Iran and] the spellbinding chronicle of her own ancestors. . . . Perfectly blends historical fact with contemporary themes."--Library Journal
"Riveting . . . Djavadi is an immensely gifted storyteller, and Kimi 's tale is especially compelling."--Booklist (starred review)
"A wonder and a pleasure to read."--Rivka Galchen, author of Atmospheric Disturbances
WINNER 2019 ALBERTINE PRIZE
WINNER 2019 LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD
FINALIST 2018 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD
FINALIST 2019 CLMP FIRECRACKER AWARD
FINALIST 2019 BEST TRANSLATED BOOK AWARD
WINNER LE PRIX DU ROMAN NEWS
WINNER STYLE PRIZE
WINNER 2016 LIRE BEST DEBUT NOVEL
WINNER LA PORTE DOR E
PRIZE ONE OF THE GLOBE & MAIL'S BEST BOOKS OF 2018