My Name Means Fire - by Atash Yaghmaian (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

An unflinching and stunning debut memoir of an Iranian girl's coming-of-age experiencing abuse, war, and superstition--and her survival through an inner world into which she could escape

When she was a child, Atash Yaghmaian's home life was unpredictable: a confusing mix of love and terror. Outside of her home, Iran was also on fire. Her reality of abuse, war, gender oppression, and religious superstition left her feeling unsafe everywhere. So, she left reality and disassociated into a place she called the House of Stone: a building in a magical forest full of peaceful creatures, kind talking trees, and volcanoes. Inhabiting this world are 9 people, each different parts of Atash, who would be her salvation from the external horrors of her outer world.

Set against the backdrop of the Iranian Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini's regime, and the 8-year Iran-Iraq War, My Name Means Fire is Atash's story of survival as she experiences tragic events including sexual abuse, a mother who subjected her to superstitious rituals, and the horrors of war. In chapters alternating with what's happening in her outside world, her other parts--each named after a color--tell the story of her inner world, giving readers an understanding of what it's like to be inside the consciousness of someone who is multiple.

Honest, powerful, and moving, My Name Means Fire is a bold narrative that challenges the stigma and misinformation around dissociative identity disorder (DID) and ultimately reckons with what it takes to survive.

Review Quotes

"I was riveted by this searing ode to the resiliency of the human psyche, rich in beauty and devastation."
--Melissa Febos, National Book Critics Circle Award winner and author of Girlhood

"Yaghmaian's dissociative world reads like magical realism. Fascinating, provocative, and deeply personal, My Name Means Fire offers an unconventional perspective that will challenge your thinking on trauma and survival."
--Nina Darnton, author of A Perfect Mother

"Atash's writing lives in the strongest softness. Every page was a sensory experience--I could hear, see, and feel every scene. Her writing is alive, and I appreciate that so much as a reader and envy it as a writer. This is a beautiful book."
--Bassey Ikpi, New York Times best-selling author of I'm Telling the Truth, but I'm Lying

About the Author

Atash Yaghmaian is a writer and psychotherapist whose stories and articles about mental health and Iran have appeared in Ms. magazine, the New York Daily News, The Mighty, and Thrive Global, among others. Born in Tehran, Atash migrated to the United States alone at the age of 19, fleeing war, trauma, and abuse. She blogs at atashyaghmaian.com.