The Persians

Notes From Your Bookseller

Intricate, captivating and complex, this is a multigenerational family saga centered on the unforgettable women of the Valiat family from a Pushcart Prize-winning author.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR FICTION and THE BOLLINGER EVERYMAN WODEHOUSE PRIZE

Five women from a once-illustrious Iranian family grapple with change—both personal and in the world around them—in this “whip-smart…huge-hearted, and sharp-toothed…joy of a debut” (David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas) novel that’s perfect for book clubs.

Five women. Three generations. A whole lot of family history.

The Valiat family is in crisis. Elizabeth, the regal matriarch, remained in Tehran despite the revolution with only the Islamic-law–breaking Niaz for company. Meanwhile, in America, Shirin, Seema, and Bita are wondering if life in the "land of plenty" is all they had hoped for. When an annual vacation goes wildly awry and Shirin is arrested, long-held Valiat family secrets begin to surface. As their lives are turned upside down, could revealing the truth save their family, or might it break them apart once and for all?