Memoirs of a Gay Shah - by Reza Farahan (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Reza Farahan came to America at the age of four on vacation with his family. While soaking up the California sun, the revolution in Iran began, and Reza's family would stay on their vacation indefinitely, never able to return home again. Reza had revered the Shah in Iran, a man whom he saw as the embodiment of progressive ideals, opulence, and ambition. And watching from afar in America, Reza was horrified to see the Shah overthrown by the Ayatollah. The world he had always known would no longer exist, and now he was stuck in a new one where people saw him as a product of the new Iran. From that point on, Reza was the ultimate outsider. He was an Iranian immigrant living in an America that labeled his people as terrorists. He was half-Muslim and half-Jewish, with both sides of his extended family refusing to see him as wholly theirs. And to top it all off, he was a gay kid growing up in the '70s and '80s, afraid to be himself, even in his own Persian bubble. Emotional, funny, and raw, Memoirs of a Gay Shah is Reza's story of growing up as an outsider, who, in the face of constant rejection and isolation, diminished his presence and hid his true self for as long as possible. But eventually, Reza would come to learn that the things that make him an outsider are also what make him unique. His greatest assets are his differences, and with this newfound confidence, he began to pursue the life of a Shah-one of incredible luxury, progressive acceptance, unapologetic authenticity"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

He didn't fit the mold--so he made a throne instead.

At just four years old, Reza Farahan left Iran for what was supposed to be a quick family trip to Los Angeles. But while he was soaking up the California sun, revolution erupted back home, and Reza's short stay turned into permanent exile.

Caught between cultures, identities, and expectations, Reza was an outsider in every sense of the word. He was a half-Muslim, half-Jewish, gay Persian kid just trying to survive 1980s America--a place that saw him as a threat, even when all he wanted was to belong. But with an unapologetic spirit and bold personality, Reza was never destined to simply fit in. He was meant to shine.

Reza eventually became the larger-than-life, fan-favorite star of Bravo's Shahs of Sunset, where he served looks, shade, and cultural pride in equal measure. And now Reza is opening up about the journey that took him from closeted teen to reality TV royalty, from hiding his truth to owning every inch of his spotlight.

Heartfelt, hilarious, and deeply human, Memoirs of a Gay Shah is the story of how one outcast boy grew into a confident man by reclaiming every part of himself--his culture, his identity, his queerness--and decided to live not just authentically, but extravagantly.