Synopses & Reviews
A piercing look at revolution through the wide-open eyes of a child, this is the true story of an extraordinary father/son relationship imperiled by Iran’s ominous and drastically changing political climate.Aria Minu-Sepehr was raised in a sheltered world of extraordinary privilege as the son of a major general in the Shah’s Imperial Iranian Air Force. The 1970s were the end result of half a century of Westernization in Iran, and Aria’s father was the man of the hour. But when the Shah was overthrown and the Ayatollah rose to power in 1979, Aria’s idyllic life skidded to a halt. Days spent practicing calligraphy in his father’s embrace and watching Sesame Street after school were suddenly infused with fears that the militia would invade his home. With family friends disappearing every day and resources growing scarce, Aria found himself torn between being the man of the house and being a much-needed source of comic relief.
We Heard the Heavens Then is a deeply moving memoir told from two vantage points: a boy growing up faster than any child should, observing and recoiling in the moment, and the adult who examines the events that shaped him. Aria Minu-Sepehr takes us back through his explosive youth, into the heart of the revolution when a boy’s hero became a hunted man.
Review
"Aria Minu-Sepehr’s memoir about growing up in Iran before the fall of the Shah is an exquisitely told tale brimming with sensuality, humor, and humanity. Minu-Spehr vividly captures the intense yearning and bewilderment of childhood as he, like a modern-day Shahrazad, unravels a rich and unforgettable tapestry of true-life stories set in a country on the verge of revolution. We Heard the Heavens Then is a son’s eloquent tribute to his father and to the beloved country he had to leave behind."
Review
"We Heard the Heavens Then is an extraordinary story of a child who sees his Paradise turn into Hell, an exhilarating work that reveals the delusions of Shah’s regime about modernity and exposes the terrifying nature of the turbaned beards’ dogma. An intelligent, witty, honest and hilariously funny, but also heartbreaking memoir. A remarkable book written by a brilliant writer. A great read."
Review
“There are photographs that define a nation in a particular time. In his down-to-earth childhood memoir of Iran just before, during and after the revolution, Minu-Sepehr catches precisely the pulse of a country as it appears to hurl itself headlong into the abyss. And, especially, in the sympathetic portrayal of the author’s father, an Air Force General and jet fighter ace, we get a soaring view of what every Iranian has often imagined – of what might have been and wasn’t.”
Review
"[A] Mournfully lyrical account of an evanescent privileged childhood on the eve of the Iranian Revolution....In this beautifully composed memoir of a vanished time, the author... reconstructs the increasingly fraught last days before his family was forced to flee their homeland, finding refuge in London and then America."
Review
"Written with the honesty and humor representative of childhood mixed with the longing and acceptance of an adult separated from his homeland, this memoir offers an insider's perspective on a country...that often remains a mystery to Western people."
Review
"The strength of We Heard the Heavens Then
Review
“This gripping story—filled with humor and insights—is in the end a beautiful meditation on fatherhood, family, and the powerful draw of home.”
Review
"This gripping story--filled with humor and insights--is in the end a beautiful meditation on fatherhood, family, and the powerful draw of home."
Review
"The strength of We Heard the Heavens Then is Minu-Sepehr's keen eye and wealth of detail. He captures the exuberance, naiveté and anxiety of childhood, as well as a son's hero worship of his father."
Synopsis
Aria Minu-Sepehr was raised in a sheltered world of extraordinary privilege as the son of a major general in the Shah’s Imperial Iranian Air Force. The 1970s were the end result of half a century of Westernization in Iran, and Aria’s father was the man of the hour. But when the Shah was overthrown and the Ayatollah rose to power in 1979, Aria’s idyllic life skidded to a halt. The surreal began to invade the mundane, pictures of executed family friends soon covered the newspaper, and ten-year-old Aria was thrust into the terrorized world of adults. In this critically acclaimed and deeply moving memoir, Minu-Sepehr takes us into the heart of the revolution when a boy’s hero, once held up as the nation’s pride, became a hunted man.
About the Author
Aria Minu-Sepehr moved with his family to the United States following the fall of the shah of Iran in 1979. He is an adjunct professor of English, founder of the Forum for Middle East Awareness, and a public lecturer in fields related to Iran and the Middle East. He lives in Oregon with his wife and two daughters.