The Septembers of Shiraz - by Dalia Sofer (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Adrien Brody and Salma Hayek

In the aftermath of the Iranian revolution, rare-gem dealer Isaac Amin is arrested, wrongly accused of being a spy. Terrified by his disappearance, his family must reconcile a new world of cruelty and chaos with the collapse of everything they have known. As Isaac navigates the terrors of prison, and his wife feverishly searches for him, his children struggle with the realization that their family may soon be forced to embark on a journey of incalculable danger.

From the Back Cover

In the aftermath of the Iranian revolution, rare-gem dealer Isaac Amin is arrested, wrongly accused of being a spy. Terrified by his disappearance, his family must reconcile a new world of cruelty and chaos with the collapse of everything they have known. As Isaac navigates the terrors of prison, and his wife feverishly searches for him, his children struggle with the realization that their family may soon be forced to embark on a journey of incalculable danger.

Review Quotes

"A remarkable debut...richly evocative, powerfully affecting...as beautiful and delicate as a book about suffering can be." -- Claire Messud, New York Times Book Review

"Dalia Sofer's debut novel marks itself out as extraordinary...an impressive debut." -- Wall Street Journal

"First time novelist Dalia Sofer does the House of Sand and Fog one better by weaving a story from four perspectives, offering a unique glimpse into the emotional fallout from political upheaval and what it's like to know you're about to lose everything." -- Marie Claire

"Sofer successfully uses the rich details of a sense-saturated country to emphasize how alone her characters feel despite an appearance of family and comfort...as Sofer elegantly demonstrates in this novel...the true survivor is one who learns to preserve his identity." -- The Jewish Daily Forward

"The same seems true about talent, which Sofer clearly possesses in abundance." -- Chicago Tribune

"[A] gripping first novel...Sofer's prose is lyrical and sometimes haunting." -- Miami Herald

"In her gripping debut novel...Sofer creates a page-turner that leaves you wanting to know more." -- Philadelphia Inquirer

"...her elegant prose works magic...Sofer perfectly captures Iran's transition to theocratic republic." -- Financial Times

"...brave and humane first novel... exquisite and profoundly moving." -- Weekly Standard

"Gripping work...a powerful story honestly told." -- Christian Science Monitor

"The pages of her debut novel...radiate rich, evocative, often painful details of her homeland." -- Interview

"[A] psychologically resonant debut." -- Vogue

"A powerful, timely book." Grade: A- -- Rocky Mountain News

"A melancholic and tender tale, told with elegance, judgment and discrimination." -- Shelf Awareness

"Interest in Iran isn't going away, and Sofer's angle is bound to entice readers...a natural for book clubs." -- New York magazine

"As intelligent as it is gripping." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Nicely layered, the story shimmers with past secrets and hidden motivations." -- Publishers Weekly (lead review)

"This is a story that needs to be told...timely and ripe for discussion." -- Library Journal (starred review)

"Stunning--beautiful, tragic, layered, and thought-provoking." -- Lisa See, bestselling author of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

"That this beautiful novel is a debut seems almost impossible . . . a remarkable emotional and intellectual achievement." -- Dani Shapiro, author of Black & White

"One of the most beautiful first novels I've ever come across. It is a rare book." -- Vendela Vida, author of Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name

"Spare and deeply felt-Sofer's prose shines with life and compassion." -- Alison Smith, author of Name All the Animals

"[A] beautiful novel--rich and exact in its depictions of one family's ordeal in Iran after the Shah." -- Joan Silber, author of Ideas of Heaven and Household Words

"...beautifully written book suffused with human suffering and the longing for love and belonging..." -- World Magazine

"...finely wrought...this novel captures in riveting images the prelude to the exodus of Iranian Jews." -- Reform Judaism