Only This Beautiful Moment - by Abdi Nazemian (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Stonewall Book Award Winner * A Best Book of the Year from the Guardian, ALA Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and BookPage

From the award-winning author of Like a Love Story comes a sweeping story of three generations of boys in the same Iranian family. Perfect for fans of Last Night at the Telegraph Club and Darius the Great Is Not Okay.

2019. Moud is an out gay teen living in Los Angeles with his distant father, Saeed. When Moud gets the news that his grandfather in Iran is dying, he accompanies his dad to Tehran, where the revelation of family secrets will force Moud into a new understanding of his history, his culture, and himself.

1978. Saeed is an engineering student with a promising future ahead of him in Tehran. But when his parents discover his involvement in the country's burgeoning revolution, they send him to safety in America, a country Saeed despises. And even worse--he's forced to live with the American grandmother he never knew existed.

1939. Bobby, the son of a calculating Hollywood stage mother, lands a coveted MGM studio contract. But the fairy-tale world of glamour he's thrust into has a dark side.

Set against the backdrop of Tehran and Los Angeles, this tale of intergenerational trauma and love is an ode to the fragile bonds of family, the hidden secrets of history, and all the beautiful moments that make us who we are today.

A CCBC 2024 Choices for the Fiction for Young Adult category!

Review Quotes

"This story, told in three points of view from three generations of the same family, is nothing short of masterful. This is the kind of story that young adult literature is made for--a story of the heart, of the very real human struggles young people face and that adults try to--but never truly--forget." -- ALA Booklist (starred review)

"Nazemian expertly bridges the past and the present, exploring racism, homophobia, and relations between the United States and Iran along the way. His elegant prose propels this historically resonant and culturally nuanced family drama. A stunning intergenerational coming-of-age story." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Nazemian combines interconnected narratives spanning three generations of an Iranian family in this ambitious read....Via the trio's intimately realized alternating perspectives, Nazemian paints a transcendent and complex portrait of generational grief and self-discovery, expertly interweaving the boys' individual experiences with homophobia, racism, and U.S.-Iranian relations to deliver a touching family drama." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Three generations of an Iranian family have secrets and stories that, when finally shared, open metaphorical doors long closed and heal relationships that have scarred into distant hesitancy....This is a book about family, intergenerational trauma, love, and reconciliation set within two countries, a story that emphasizes the idea that where we are from is deeply influential in our identity making, while acknowledging that we are also formed out of who we love and who loves us." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

"Only This Beautiful Moment is a queer epic, a defiant piece of art that transmutes the rallying cry of "we're here, we're queer, get used to it" into even more beautiful poetry that will almost certainly change the lives of those who read it." -- BookPage (starred review)

"Only This Beautiful Moment is a triumph. A touching story about family and identity, secrets and generational trauma, and, most of all, the love that brings us together." -- Arvin Ahmadi, author of How It All Blew Up

"Only This Beautiful Moment is the must-read book of 2023. Abdi Nazemian has managed to write a multi-generational story that is both universal and specific to the Iranian queer experience. I couldn't put it down. I can't stop talking about it and neither will you." -- Firoozeh Dumas, New York Times bestselling author

"An absolutely mesmerizing exploration of grief and self-discovery. Abdi Nazemian is an unforgettable voice whose work reads like a gift to the queer community and beyond." -- Julie Murphy, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"A beautifully interwoven tale of self-discovery, forgiveness, and love. Abdi Nazemian expertly shows the generational ripple effects of our choices and demonstrates how we can create positive, lasting change." -- Jason June, New York Times bestselling author of Out of the Blue and Jay's Gay Agenda