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The Persians
Named a most anticipated book by Electric Literature, Publishers Weekly, The BBC, Daily Mail (London), and more
A darkly funny, life-affirming debut novel following five women from a once illustrious Iranian family as they grapple with revolutions personal and political.
Meet the Valiat family. In Iran, they were somebodies. In America, they’re nobodies.
First there is Elizabeth, the regal matriarch with the famously large nose, who remained in Tehran despite the revolution. She lives alone but is sometimes visited by Niaz, her Islamic-law-breaking granddaughter, who takes her partying with a side of purpose and yet manages to survive. Elizabeth’s daughters wound up in America: Shirin, a charismatic and flamboyantly high-flying event planner in Houston, who considers herself the family’s future, and Seema, a dreamy idealist turned housewife languishing in the chaparral-filled hills of Los Angeles. And then there’s the other granddaughter, Bita, a disillusioned law student in New York City trying to find deeper meaning by quietly giving away her belongings.
When an annual vacation in Aspen goes wildly awry and Shirin ends up in jail, the family’s upper-class veneer is cracked open. Shirin embarks upon a quest to restore the family name to its former glory, but what does that mean in a country where the Valiats never mattered? Can they bring their old inheritance into a new tomorrow?
By turns satirical and philosophical, spanning from 1940s Iran to a splintered 2000s, The Persians upends the reader’s expectations while exploring questions about love, family, money, art, and how to find yourself and each other when your country is lost. Wry and witty, brazen and absurd, The Persians is a deeply moving reinvention of the American family saga.
A darkly funny, life-affirming debut novel following five women from a once illustrious Iranian family as they grapple with revolutions personal and political.
Meet the Valiat family. In Iran, they were somebodies. In America, they’re nobodies.
First there is Elizabeth, the regal matriarch with the famously large nose, who remained in Tehran despite the revolution. She lives alone but is sometimes visited by Niaz, her Islamic-law-breaking granddaughter, who takes her partying with a side of purpose and yet manages to survive. Elizabeth’s daughters wound up in America: Shirin, a charismatic and flamboyantly high-flying event planner in Houston, who considers herself the family’s future, and Seema, a dreamy idealist turned housewife languishing in the chaparral-filled hills of Los Angeles. And then there’s the other granddaughter, Bita, a disillusioned law student in New York City trying to find deeper meaning by quietly giving away her belongings.
When an annual vacation in Aspen goes wildly awry and Shirin ends up in jail, the family’s upper-class veneer is cracked open. Shirin embarks upon a quest to restore the family name to its former glory, but what does that mean in a country where the Valiats never mattered? Can they bring their old inheritance into a new tomorrow?
By turns satirical and philosophical, spanning from 1940s Iran to a splintered 2000s, The Persians upends the reader’s expectations while exploring questions about love, family, money, art, and how to find yourself and each other when your country is lost. Wry and witty, brazen and absurd, The Persians is a deeply moving reinvention of the American family saga.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published May 31, 2024
729 people are currently reading
22697 people want to read
About the author
Sanam Mahloudji
3 books97 followersSanam Mahloudji is an American writer born in Tehran and based in London. She is the winner of a Pushcart Prize for her fiction and was nominated for a PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers. Her writing has appeared in McSweeney’s, The Idaho Review, The Kenyon Review, and elsewhere. Her debut novel The Persians has been shortlisted for the Women’s Prize.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 448 reviews
March 4, 2025
3.75 stars
Patience can pay off when it comes to books. I’ll admit I was a little nervous after reading the first 15 or so pages in THE PERSIANS. The characters seemed over the top and I thought that it would wear thin after awhile. Thankfully though, the writing settled down a bit and it turned out to be a pretty fascinating read.
The story follows different generations of women from the Valiat family. During the Iranian Revolution some of them head to the US while others remain in Iran. Decades later and you could say the family is fractured. The past is a roadblock to moving forward.
The different perspectives is what made the book work well. You don’t have to agree with certain decisions or actions but at least the author gives you enough to understand on some level where each person was coming from. People are complex and that’s certainly the case with the members of this family. It’s heartbreaking to know that some immigrants continue to feel like outsiders even when they’ve lived in the country for years and years.
A book worth reading in my opinion.
Thank you Scribner for sending a free advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
Patience can pay off when it comes to books. I’ll admit I was a little nervous after reading the first 15 or so pages in THE PERSIANS. The characters seemed over the top and I thought that it would wear thin after awhile. Thankfully though, the writing settled down a bit and it turned out to be a pretty fascinating read.
The story follows different generations of women from the Valiat family. During the Iranian Revolution some of them head to the US while others remain in Iran. Decades later and you could say the family is fractured. The past is a roadblock to moving forward.
The different perspectives is what made the book work well. You don’t have to agree with certain decisions or actions but at least the author gives you enough to understand on some level where each person was coming from. People are complex and that’s certainly the case with the members of this family. It’s heartbreaking to know that some immigrants continue to feel like outsiders even when they’ve lived in the country for years and years.
A book worth reading in my opinion.
Thank you Scribner for sending a free advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
May 4, 2025
generational trauma AND rich girl issues ?! thank god 1/5th of them is in therapy lol
August 8, 2025
Was the book a little weird here and there *cough Shirin *cough*? Yes. Did I like it anyway? Also yes.
I know it's tempting to close the book at the start, but I promise it's worth getting through. Especially if you're listening to the audiobook. Your time will just fly by as you're swept away by this generational, multi-PoV tale.
I'm not huge on literary fiction, but this one worked for me (clearly). I loved the characters, my favourites being wacky auntie Shirin and grandma Elizabeth, their PoVs were the most compelling. I also loved the glimpses we got into Persian culture and Iranian history, as well as the writing.
For once I'm thankful that Goodreads created those mini banner-collecting reading challenges, because I'm not sure when I would've gotten to this book if it wasn't for them.
I know it's tempting to close the book at the start, but I promise it's worth getting through. Especially if you're listening to the audiobook. Your time will just fly by as you're swept away by this generational, multi-PoV tale.
I'm not huge on literary fiction, but this one worked for me (clearly). I loved the characters, my favourites being wacky auntie Shirin and grandma Elizabeth, their PoVs were the most compelling. I also loved the glimpses we got into Persian culture and Iranian history, as well as the writing.
For once I'm thankful that Goodreads created those mini banner-collecting reading challenges, because I'm not sure when I would've gotten to this book if it wasn't for them.
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May 26, 2025"She didn't stop painting--she just stopped painting him."
Really enjoyed this story! It has a very unique structure and a really compelling narrative voice. The Persians tells the story of the Iranian Revolution through the complicated lives for three generations of Iranian women.
Really enjoyed this story! It has a very unique structure and a really compelling narrative voice. The Persians tells the story of the Iranian Revolution through the complicated lives for three generations of Iranian women.
March 9, 2025
In the first 5 minutes auntie shirine attempts selling sex, snorts coke and gets naked in front of her son, and to top it all off, she would never shut up.
January 7, 2025
A wonderful read with complex and deeply interesting female characters. I really enjoyed this book. Some very interesting insights to Iran's history from 1970s onwards. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.
August 22, 2025
First and foremost, I do have to wonder why so many of the sweeping family sagas I have read over the years tend to describe and deal with the socially and culturally elite, that indeed, in Sanam Mahloudji's award-winning 2024 novel The Persians, Mahloudji's story is definitely not showcasing ALL Persians (Iranians) but very much specifically focusses on the women of one single family, on the the very upper class and renowned Valiats. And frankly, with a title like The Persians, I was before my perusal kind of hoping (as well as expecting) that Sanam Mahloudji's text would be showing and depicting upper, middle and lower class Iran and upper, middle and lower class Iranians and that the rather limited textual nucleus of The Persians does not really give me in any way an all encompassing portrait of Iran, but only of one upper class Iranian family (and specifically the women), just like when I consider Thomas Mann's 1889 novel Nobel Prize winning Buddenbrooks, while I have always quite enjoyed the thematics and the contents of Buddenbrooks, what Mann is writing does not really describe late 19th and early 20th century Germany as a whole, but upper class Germany and one particular elite Lübeck family, one particular echelon of society (and that I also think the Persians is in many ways quite similar to Buddenbrooks thematics wise, but that for me, this should actually not be seen as all that positive).
Now in The Persians matriarch Elizabeth's romantic attachment to her father's chauffeur (in the 1940s) is deemed unacceptable, with Elizabeth finally bowing to her family's demands and agreeing to marry according to her class. But with her "chosen" by the family husband frail and elderly by the time the 1979 revolution begins, Elizabeth decides to remain with her husband in Iran, in Persia, although she insists that her daughters Seema and Shirin flee to the United States for safety (since the Valiats are wealthy, secular, high profile and as such a target for the revolutionaries, for the Islamists), with Seema struggling in 1980s Los Angeles (trying to combine idealism with basically being a typical both Iranian and American housewife) while Shirin (who lives in Houston with a husband she does not really love) is both outspoken and often behaving outlandishly (and that The Persians opens with Shirin described by Mahloudji as just having been arrested for prostitution, for soliciting a police officer), that Seema's daughter Bita is studying law, having all kinds of Western freedoms (but feeling guilty regarding the poverty and the persecution rampant in Iran) and how Shirin's daughter Niaz (after getting stranded in Iran during a family visit there) is eventually pretty much openly and deliberately rebelling against the Iranian Islamist regime.
Yes, with The Persians, Sanam Mahloudji gives some decent insight into Persian culture and the troubles in Iran before and after the revolution, particularly regarding the restrictions and roles for women (and I also appreciate how all five Valiats showcased and telling their stories in The Persians feel like outsiders, whether it be as immigrants in America or in Iran, feeling boxed in by their name, by society’s expectations and also by the past). But I equally do find Elizabeth, Seema, Shirin, Bita and Niaz not really all that likeable as persons, often somewhat annoyingly entitled and that (as already alluded to in the first paragraph of my review) what Mahloudji is textually providing in and with The Persians is just too one-sidedly upper class and somewhat elitist for me (and that this lack of textual balance, that for Sanam Mahloudji, kind of only the stories of one section of Iranian society and culture seem to really count, seem to truly matter and should be told, and as such also equal all of Iran, represent all of Persia in general, well, although much of The Persians has been an interesting reading experience for me, what is missing or rather what I personally speaking feel is missing lessens reading pleasure and only lets me consider a low to middle three star rating for The Persians).
Now in The Persians matriarch Elizabeth's romantic attachment to her father's chauffeur (in the 1940s) is deemed unacceptable, with Elizabeth finally bowing to her family's demands and agreeing to marry according to her class. But with her "chosen" by the family husband frail and elderly by the time the 1979 revolution begins, Elizabeth decides to remain with her husband in Iran, in Persia, although she insists that her daughters Seema and Shirin flee to the United States for safety (since the Valiats are wealthy, secular, high profile and as such a target for the revolutionaries, for the Islamists), with Seema struggling in 1980s Los Angeles (trying to combine idealism with basically being a typical both Iranian and American housewife) while Shirin (who lives in Houston with a husband she does not really love) is both outspoken and often behaving outlandishly (and that The Persians opens with Shirin described by Mahloudji as just having been arrested for prostitution, for soliciting a police officer), that Seema's daughter Bita is studying law, having all kinds of Western freedoms (but feeling guilty regarding the poverty and the persecution rampant in Iran) and how Shirin's daughter Niaz (after getting stranded in Iran during a family visit there) is eventually pretty much openly and deliberately rebelling against the Iranian Islamist regime.
Yes, with The Persians, Sanam Mahloudji gives some decent insight into Persian culture and the troubles in Iran before and after the revolution, particularly regarding the restrictions and roles for women (and I also appreciate how all five Valiats showcased and telling their stories in The Persians feel like outsiders, whether it be as immigrants in America or in Iran, feeling boxed in by their name, by society’s expectations and also by the past). But I equally do find Elizabeth, Seema, Shirin, Bita and Niaz not really all that likeable as persons, often somewhat annoyingly entitled and that (as already alluded to in the first paragraph of my review) what Mahloudji is textually providing in and with The Persians is just too one-sidedly upper class and somewhat elitist for me (and that this lack of textual balance, that for Sanam Mahloudji, kind of only the stories of one section of Iranian society and culture seem to really count, seem to truly matter and should be told, and as such also equal all of Iran, represent all of Persia in general, well, although much of The Persians has been an interesting reading experience for me, what is missing or rather what I personally speaking feel is missing lessens reading pleasure and only lets me consider a low to middle three star rating for The Persians).
August 10, 2025
این همه آدم دیونه و خودشیفته یه جا ندیده بودم🤕
April 17, 2025
3.5 stars rounded up.
The Persians was quite an entertaining read. It's told through the perspective of five women of the famous Valiat Dynesty.
Elizabeth, her two daughters, Seema and Shirin, and their respective daughters, Bita and Niaz.
Elizabeth grew up in the 40s . She chooses to stay in Iran with Niaz during the 1979 uprising while Shirin and Seema flee to the US. We get to learn a lot about the pre revolution through her.
Shirin was by far my favourite character. Unapologetically flamboyant and conceited about her top-tier lineage, she can't stop boasting about it. Her character is totally absurd, funny and very loud, and proud. She did get a bit OTT at times.
Seema has actually passed away recently and writes "from the grave," so to speak. Her character felt very unnecessary to me and didn't add much to the story.
I think my age is showing up in my reading experiences because it was the grandmother and Shirin who I could relate to more with their nostalgia and feeling of loss, than the young granddaughters with their Millennial/Gen Z storylines of sex, drugs and activism. Both want to fit in and try to find their purpose in life. One in Tehran and the other in NYC.
The Persians was amusing, informative and humorous with romance, family secrets and a sense of loss and nostalgia for the times gone by.
The Persians was quite an entertaining read. It's told through the perspective of five women of the famous Valiat Dynesty.
Elizabeth, her two daughters, Seema and Shirin, and their respective daughters, Bita and Niaz.
Elizabeth grew up in the 40s . She chooses to stay in Iran with Niaz during the 1979 uprising while Shirin and Seema flee to the US. We get to learn a lot about the pre revolution through her.
Shirin was by far my favourite character. Unapologetically flamboyant and conceited about her top-tier lineage, she can't stop boasting about it. Her character is totally absurd, funny and very loud, and proud. She did get a bit OTT at times.
Seema has actually passed away recently and writes "from the grave," so to speak. Her character felt very unnecessary to me and didn't add much to the story.
I think my age is showing up in my reading experiences because it was the grandmother and Shirin who I could relate to more with their nostalgia and feeling of loss, than the young granddaughters with their Millennial/Gen Z storylines of sex, drugs and activism. Both want to fit in and try to find their purpose in life. One in Tehran and the other in NYC.
The Persians was amusing, informative and humorous with romance, family secrets and a sense of loss and nostalgia for the times gone by.
April 3, 2025
A cliche for satisfying the image the west has of the east, therefore, if I may, a classic orientalist tale, dancing to the westerners’ tune.
June 1, 2025
3.5. it started out strong but lost a little bit of steam midway through. a lot of storylines to keep up with and jumps in time without an indicator made it hard to keep track of
April 9, 2025
Do you ever read a book and start wondering what is the point? That was my feeling upon reading The Persians. Is this just a story of rich people doing rich people things featuring people who used to have influence in Iran but now don’t? In a sense, this is what I should have expected as that’s all the blurb proclaims this novel to be. However, it’s shortlisting for the Women’s Prize had me thinking The Persians was something special.
The Persians follows several generations of a no longer prominent but still wealthy family who fled to the United States from Iran following the removal of the Shah. When writing a largely character-driven story, it’s important that the writer gives you a reason to care about the characters. Sadly, I found all but one of the characters in The Persians to be either dull or irritating. There is only so much partying and lavish spending that one can take. By the time we learn of the family secret on which the novel turns, I was beyond the point of being interested. I felt that if Mahloudji had focused on just the character of Niaz who remained in Iran we might have had a more compelling narrative. Niaz’s involvement in underground arts and music events and her effective abandonment in Iran, provided the most interesting elements in this story.
Overall, I found this novel just fine – not good but not bad. If it had forgone the Crazy Rich Persians (the frequent we were rich and powerful references became quite tiresome) story in favour of a more targeted look at life under the Ayatollah then it might have been a more interesting story.
The Persians follows several generations of a no longer prominent but still wealthy family who fled to the United States from Iran following the removal of the Shah. When writing a largely character-driven story, it’s important that the writer gives you a reason to care about the characters. Sadly, I found all but one of the characters in The Persians to be either dull or irritating. There is only so much partying and lavish spending that one can take. By the time we learn of the family secret on which the novel turns, I was beyond the point of being interested. I felt that if Mahloudji had focused on just the character of Niaz who remained in Iran we might have had a more compelling narrative. Niaz’s involvement in underground arts and music events and her effective abandonment in Iran, provided the most interesting elements in this story.
Overall, I found this novel just fine – not good but not bad. If it had forgone the Crazy Rich Persians (the frequent we were rich and powerful references became quite tiresome) story in favour of a more targeted look at life under the Ayatollah then it might have been a more interesting story.
July 17, 2025
The Persians starts with a bang (that many seem to dislike), and goes on to sparkle as a multifaceted, layered intergenerational diaspora saga.
This book was satirical and poetic, biting and tender, dark, exaggerated and informative, and shows both sides of a fractured family with wealth and standing in an uncertain time.
Complicated mother, daughter and granddaughter relationships from multiple points of view, dark humour to cope with trauma, and withholding as a defence mechanism for feelings of being unloved. A family legacy based on secrets and lies, cultural differences, star-crossed love and judgmental social status beliefs. Not to mention complete upheaval and fear of the unknown from a regime change.
I found myself thinking of each voice, Elizabeth, her daughters Shirin and Seema and their daughters Niaz and Bita, and trying to put myself in their shoes as I listened to each experience and perspective their own. My thoughts went to the TV show Dallas when I thought of Shirin living in Texas in the early 80’s. Seema in the LA Hills trying to be a better “earthy” mother. Elizabeth, stoic yet subtly clever in her resistance to the regime changes. Niaz living as wildly as she can with her situation and heartaches. Bita feeling out of touch from not remembering her family's homeland or learning the language.
I can see how each character’s experiences shaped who they became, and that is due to the revealing and complex way it was written. It was sometimes difficult to follow, but the voices on the audiobook made it easier, brought the story to life and was executed brilliantly. To quote some of the descriptions on my Audiobook - “By turns satirical and philosophical… upends the reader's expectations… Wry and witty, brazen and absurd, The Persians is a deeply moving reinvention of the American family saga.”
I will be rereading in book form and, unlike others, I feel it’s worthy of its place on the Women’s Prize shortlist.
Congratulations Sanam for your unapologetic, sharp and entertaining debut.
Below are too many of my favourites
“Little did we know the future ahead.”
“She didn’t know something very important about Iranians like us. She thought that we were superficial, lived in the world of the material, ignorant of deeper thought.”
“It’s that we Iranians know what is possible of the world. We see that it is capable of such glorious, immeasurable, heart pounding beauty.”
“The rose and the thorn and sorrow and gladness are linked together.”
“Our valiant attempt to bring our wild vision of heaven as earth to our everyday lives. Roses to the thorns. Even the less fortunate of us try, they care about having lush hair, impeccable shoes.”
“We are born artists, us Persians, born dreamers.”
“Nobody else took me seriously, and there was no room then for a girl to be both pretty and smart. Still isn’t, despite what the young people pretend.”
“Now what do they want with a girl with no credentials except her prerevolutionary elite family?”
“What was real life before all this was built? I like to think it was the most beautiful place imaginable, just soil, plants, sun, rain the wildest animals. When wild wasn’t wild, because everything was wild.”
“She’d grown pale, her eyes frozen like, she’d seen her own ghost. But aren’t we all exactly that? Each the ghost of an unchosen path.”
“At University in Tehran, I studied math and science the opposite of politics or history, because what was the point of listening to regime teachers lie. The truth, if I even cared to discover it anymore, was my job to unearth in private.”
“What is it based on, this supposed family of mine? I had said to Jamie. A country that doesn’t exist, one I don’t even remember. Would my ancestors recognise me as theirs? A nice apartment and an expensive hand bag isn’t an actual connection to the past.”
“There were two types of us, the names and the no names. I called them no names because they did not leave a name behind in Iran. ... but no, the names were nothing without our no names, we needed them.”
“After the revolution, we Iranians were extreme in our disconnect.”
“Daughters hating their mothers, it’s inescapable.”
“I pulled her inside and held her, it was not a natural hug. We were mismatched pieces in a puzzle.”
“Even before the revolution, this started. This need to be admired, without giving anyone a chance to truly love me, or to truly love back.”
4 ⭐️ Audiobook read by Donia Bijan, Lanna Joffrey, Mozhan Navabi and Nikki Massoud
This book was satirical and poetic, biting and tender, dark, exaggerated and informative, and shows both sides of a fractured family with wealth and standing in an uncertain time.
Complicated mother, daughter and granddaughter relationships from multiple points of view, dark humour to cope with trauma, and withholding as a defence mechanism for feelings of being unloved. A family legacy based on secrets and lies, cultural differences, star-crossed love and judgmental social status beliefs. Not to mention complete upheaval and fear of the unknown from a regime change.
I found myself thinking of each voice, Elizabeth, her daughters Shirin and Seema and their daughters Niaz and Bita, and trying to put myself in their shoes as I listened to each experience and perspective their own. My thoughts went to the TV show Dallas when I thought of Shirin living in Texas in the early 80’s. Seema in the LA Hills trying to be a better “earthy” mother. Elizabeth, stoic yet subtly clever in her resistance to the regime changes. Niaz living as wildly as she can with her situation and heartaches. Bita feeling out of touch from not remembering her family's homeland or learning the language.
I can see how each character’s experiences shaped who they became, and that is due to the revealing and complex way it was written. It was sometimes difficult to follow, but the voices on the audiobook made it easier, brought the story to life and was executed brilliantly. To quote some of the descriptions on my Audiobook - “By turns satirical and philosophical… upends the reader's expectations… Wry and witty, brazen and absurd, The Persians is a deeply moving reinvention of the American family saga.”
I will be rereading in book form and, unlike others, I feel it’s worthy of its place on the Women’s Prize shortlist.
Congratulations Sanam for your unapologetic, sharp and entertaining debut.
Below are too many of my favourites
“Little did we know the future ahead.”
“She didn’t know something very important about Iranians like us. She thought that we were superficial, lived in the world of the material, ignorant of deeper thought.”
“It’s that we Iranians know what is possible of the world. We see that it is capable of such glorious, immeasurable, heart pounding beauty.”
“The rose and the thorn and sorrow and gladness are linked together.”
“Our valiant attempt to bring our wild vision of heaven as earth to our everyday lives. Roses to the thorns. Even the less fortunate of us try, they care about having lush hair, impeccable shoes.”
“We are born artists, us Persians, born dreamers.”
“Nobody else took me seriously, and there was no room then for a girl to be both pretty and smart. Still isn’t, despite what the young people pretend.”
“Now what do they want with a girl with no credentials except her prerevolutionary elite family?”
“What was real life before all this was built? I like to think it was the most beautiful place imaginable, just soil, plants, sun, rain the wildest animals. When wild wasn’t wild, because everything was wild.”
“She’d grown pale, her eyes frozen like, she’d seen her own ghost. But aren’t we all exactly that? Each the ghost of an unchosen path.”
“At University in Tehran, I studied math and science the opposite of politics or history, because what was the point of listening to regime teachers lie. The truth, if I even cared to discover it anymore, was my job to unearth in private.”
“What is it based on, this supposed family of mine? I had said to Jamie. A country that doesn’t exist, one I don’t even remember. Would my ancestors recognise me as theirs? A nice apartment and an expensive hand bag isn’t an actual connection to the past.”
“There were two types of us, the names and the no names. I called them no names because they did not leave a name behind in Iran. ... but no, the names were nothing without our no names, we needed them.”
“After the revolution, we Iranians were extreme in our disconnect.”
“Daughters hating their mothers, it’s inescapable.”
“I pulled her inside and held her, it was not a natural hug. We were mismatched pieces in a puzzle.”
“Even before the revolution, this started. This need to be admired, without giving anyone a chance to truly love me, or to truly love back.”
4 ⭐️ Audiobook read by Donia Bijan, Lanna Joffrey, Mozhan Navabi and Nikki Massoud
Read
May 27, 2025Crazy Rich Asians but make it Persian. This was solid multi-voice multi-generational storytelling where the reader learns family secrets before the family members do. Spanning from 1940s Iran to 2000s New York and Aspen, these five women question their shared history, their wealth and the place they call home. A confident family saga that was at turns absurd and deeply felt. I really appreciated the storytelling and the insights into the Iranian Revolution.
April 28, 2025
This novel is surprisingly profound, exploring themes that extend far beyond its depiction of affluent Iranians. It beautifully portrays the struggles of three generations of Iranian women grappling with identity, belonging, love, acceptance, and the fundamental human need for connection. Having left Iran in 1983, I deeply resonate with the characters' experiences. I wonder, however, if someone without Persian background can fully comprehend the challenges of seamlessly integrating two distinct cultures. Iranians often find themselves navigating the complexities of "tarof" alongside the bluntness of other cultures. How does one reconcile these opposing forces and maintain one's sanity? This novel weaves these elements together, offering an insightful perspective. I am curious to see what others think.
June 28, 2024
Unfortunately, after more than halfway through, the book still hasn't really caught me.
Basically, the story switches back and forth between the women's current lives in the US and Iranian history. I had hoped that there would be more reference to how the characters deal with their heritage and how they fit into the US.
However, to me at least, it feels like a revival of Gossipgirl, just with mainly Iranian-born characters and interjections of Iranian history. The flashbacks mainly relate to the inner lives of the characters, with world events happening more in the background.
Somehow I just didn't warm to any of the characters. It all takes place in the upper class and everything is super luxurious, which I couldn't relate to. This also goes hand in hand with how the characters treat each other and the problems they have to deal with - here, too, the personal reference level is missing for me.
I think the idea of spanning the story over about 5 characters and 3 generations is very good in principle. In this setting, however, my lukewarm enthusiasm was divided between 5 storylines - unfortunately, I lost interest in reading at some point.
A good book in itself, which takes up Iranian history and portrays it through strong, rebellious, female main characters. But unfortunately not my "cup of tea" due to the exaggerated luxury that is provided.
Basically, the story switches back and forth between the women's current lives in the US and Iranian history. I had hoped that there would be more reference to how the characters deal with their heritage and how they fit into the US.
However, to me at least, it feels like a revival of Gossipgirl, just with mainly Iranian-born characters and interjections of Iranian history. The flashbacks mainly relate to the inner lives of the characters, with world events happening more in the background.
Somehow I just didn't warm to any of the characters. It all takes place in the upper class and everything is super luxurious, which I couldn't relate to. This also goes hand in hand with how the characters treat each other and the problems they have to deal with - here, too, the personal reference level is missing for me.
I think the idea of spanning the story over about 5 characters and 3 generations is very good in principle. In this setting, however, my lukewarm enthusiasm was divided between 5 storylines - unfortunately, I lost interest in reading at some point.
A good book in itself, which takes up Iranian history and portrays it through strong, rebellious, female main characters. But unfortunately not my "cup of tea" due to the exaggerated luxury that is provided.
October 23, 2024
This was a very difficult book for me to read. I expected more, but didn’t get it. Shallow, boring, unrepeatable. I finally understood or felt kinship in the last few chapters with the women in this story. Thanks for the advanced copy
June 18, 2024
Im Traum war ich fasziniert davon gewesen, dass eine Tote bluten konnte. In unserer Familie galten Träume nicht als bedeutungslos, vor allem nicht, wenn man sich an sie erinnerte. Sie wurden wahr - oder ihr genaues Gegenteil trat ein. Weil es keine Regel dahinter gab, waren Träume aufregend und auch angsteinflößend. Wir fürchteten sie. - Buchzitat (S.78)
"Die Perserinnen" von Sanam Mahloudji erzählt die Geschichte der iranischen Familie Valiat im Exil sowie im Iran und beleuchtet das Leben von drei Generationen von Frauen, die mit ihrer Identität und ihren Wurzeln ringen. Die Autorin, Sanam Mahloudji, 1977 in Teheran geboren, flüchtete mit ihrer Familie während der iranischen Revolution in die USA und lebt heute in London. Mit einem Hintergrund in der Juristerei und zahlreichen Veröffentlichungen in renommierten literarischen Zeitschriften, legt sie nun ihren ersten Roman vor.
Seit dem Sturz des Schahs 1979 sind die Töchter der iranischen Familie Valiat im amerikanischen Exil. Ihre Mutter, die Tradition und Stolz verkörpert, blieb damals allein mit ihrer Enkelin in Iran zurück. Ein jährliches Familientreffen in Aspen wird zum Wendepunkt, als die exzentrische Shirin nach einer Verhaftung gegen Kaution freikommt. Dies Ereignis zwingt die Frauen, ihre Haltung zu ihren persischen Wurzeln und ihrer zukünftigen Identität zu überdenken. Die Geschichte wird aus der Perspektive von fünf Frauen erzählt und erstreckt sich über drei Generationen.
Das wunderschöne Cover und der ansprechende Titel haben mich ebenfalls sofort angesprochen und zum Lesen motiviert. Der Roman an sich behandelt zahlreiche Themen (mal mehr, mal weniger tief) wie Heimat, Verwurzelung, Liebe, Alter(n), ungesunde Schönheitsideale, gesellschaftlichen Druck und Rassismus, was ich sehr ansprechend fand. Im Kern dreht sich die Geschichte um eine Familie, dargestellt durch die Erlebnisse und Herausforderungen von Großmutter, Müttern und Töchtern. Jede Frau hat mit ihren ganz eigenen Problemen zu kämpfen, dazu kommen dann noch die Anforderungen/Erwartungen der anderen Familienmitglieder. Leider konnte ich persönlich keine tiefe Verbindung zum Buch und den Charakteren aufbauen. Allen voran Shirin die teilweise wirklich mehr als fragwürdige Einstellungen hat... Am besten gefallen hat mir die Sichtweise von Bita, die sich noch am kritischsten gegenüber der Vergangenheit und Familiengeschichte äußert. Auch von Sima hätte ich gerne noch mehr gelesen. Ihre Kapitel waren leider die kürzesten insgesamt. Es gab viele Stellen, die sich sehr in die Länge gezogen haben und deshalb hab ich auch etwas länger gebraucht mit dem Lesen als sonst.
Der Schreibstil von Mahloudji wiederum ist klar, ohne unnötige Schnörkel, was das Lesen angenehm macht. Das Buch enthält gelegentlich interessante Informationen über die Geschichte Irans, diese sind jedoch eher oberflächlich. Und neben all der Kritik gibt es auch einige wunderschöne Stellen.
"Die Perserinnen" bietet eine interessante, aber teilweise leider auch langatmige Auseinandersetzung rund um die Themen Identität und Wurzeln. Trotz eines klaren und angenehmen Schreibstils sowie einem mehr als schönen Cover blieb das Buch hinter meinen Erwartungen zurück - ich hätte mir basierend auf dem Klappentext mehr erwartet. Deshalb vergebe ich 3 von 5 Sternen.
Irgendwann wird es eine neue Revolution geben, und dann werde ich bereit sein. Ich bin bereit. Sie können uns nicht ewig unterdrücken, unsere Herzen nicht ewig zum Schweigen bringen. Die Islamische Republik kann nicht ewig leben. Ich weiß, es hängt von den Frauen ab. Sie bereit sein. - Buchzitat (S.436/437)
"Die Perserinnen" von Sanam Mahloudji erzählt die Geschichte der iranischen Familie Valiat im Exil sowie im Iran und beleuchtet das Leben von drei Generationen von Frauen, die mit ihrer Identität und ihren Wurzeln ringen. Die Autorin, Sanam Mahloudji, 1977 in Teheran geboren, flüchtete mit ihrer Familie während der iranischen Revolution in die USA und lebt heute in London. Mit einem Hintergrund in der Juristerei und zahlreichen Veröffentlichungen in renommierten literarischen Zeitschriften, legt sie nun ihren ersten Roman vor.
Seit dem Sturz des Schahs 1979 sind die Töchter der iranischen Familie Valiat im amerikanischen Exil. Ihre Mutter, die Tradition und Stolz verkörpert, blieb damals allein mit ihrer Enkelin in Iran zurück. Ein jährliches Familientreffen in Aspen wird zum Wendepunkt, als die exzentrische Shirin nach einer Verhaftung gegen Kaution freikommt. Dies Ereignis zwingt die Frauen, ihre Haltung zu ihren persischen Wurzeln und ihrer zukünftigen Identität zu überdenken. Die Geschichte wird aus der Perspektive von fünf Frauen erzählt und erstreckt sich über drei Generationen.
Das wunderschöne Cover und der ansprechende Titel haben mich ebenfalls sofort angesprochen und zum Lesen motiviert. Der Roman an sich behandelt zahlreiche Themen (mal mehr, mal weniger tief) wie Heimat, Verwurzelung, Liebe, Alter(n), ungesunde Schönheitsideale, gesellschaftlichen Druck und Rassismus, was ich sehr ansprechend fand. Im Kern dreht sich die Geschichte um eine Familie, dargestellt durch die Erlebnisse und Herausforderungen von Großmutter, Müttern und Töchtern. Jede Frau hat mit ihren ganz eigenen Problemen zu kämpfen, dazu kommen dann noch die Anforderungen/Erwartungen der anderen Familienmitglieder. Leider konnte ich persönlich keine tiefe Verbindung zum Buch und den Charakteren aufbauen. Allen voran Shirin die teilweise wirklich mehr als fragwürdige Einstellungen hat... Am besten gefallen hat mir die Sichtweise von Bita, die sich noch am kritischsten gegenüber der Vergangenheit und Familiengeschichte äußert. Auch von Sima hätte ich gerne noch mehr gelesen. Ihre Kapitel waren leider die kürzesten insgesamt. Es gab viele Stellen, die sich sehr in die Länge gezogen haben und deshalb hab ich auch etwas länger gebraucht mit dem Lesen als sonst.
Der Schreibstil von Mahloudji wiederum ist klar, ohne unnötige Schnörkel, was das Lesen angenehm macht. Das Buch enthält gelegentlich interessante Informationen über die Geschichte Irans, diese sind jedoch eher oberflächlich. Und neben all der Kritik gibt es auch einige wunderschöne Stellen.
"Die Perserinnen" bietet eine interessante, aber teilweise leider auch langatmige Auseinandersetzung rund um die Themen Identität und Wurzeln. Trotz eines klaren und angenehmen Schreibstils sowie einem mehr als schönen Cover blieb das Buch hinter meinen Erwartungen zurück - ich hätte mir basierend auf dem Klappentext mehr erwartet. Deshalb vergebe ich 3 von 5 Sternen.
Irgendwann wird es eine neue Revolution geben, und dann werde ich bereit sein. Ich bin bereit. Sie können uns nicht ewig unterdrücken, unsere Herzen nicht ewig zum Schweigen bringen. Die Islamische Republik kann nicht ewig leben. Ich weiß, es hängt von den Frauen ab. Sie bereit sein. - Buchzitat (S.436/437)
March 16, 2025
I rarely snort books but after waiting three years for this, I couldn't help myself.
I need to sit with this a bit so my thoughts coalesce. But it's an incredible debut (no surprise as author already had racked up serious short-story accolades) that I suspect will appeal to complicated and conflicted/ambivalent people with passports (expired or otherwise) and above-average reading levels.
This book will NOT appeal to people who believe women should color within lines created by men.
This book will likely be too challenging to read for those who normally read YA; it's contemporary literature, not pablum chick lit. Think White Teeth in terms of IQ level. Except with anal.
The Persians is dramatic and sweeping and lush so I'm already imagining it as (/hoping for it to become?) a mini-series and find myself fan-casting the talent: Sarah Treem adapting the novel for the screen, someone like Sarita Choudhury (And Just Like That) for Shirin, maybe Negar Shaghari for Niaz?
I need to sit with this a bit so my thoughts coalesce. But it's an incredible debut (no surprise as author already had racked up serious short-story accolades) that I suspect will appeal to complicated and conflicted/ambivalent people with passports (expired or otherwise) and above-average reading levels.
This book will NOT appeal to people who believe women should color within lines created by men.
This book will likely be too challenging to read for those who normally read YA; it's contemporary literature, not pablum chick lit. Think White Teeth in terms of IQ level. Except with anal.
The Persians is dramatic and sweeping and lush so I'm already imagining it as (/hoping for it to become?) a mini-series and find myself fan-casting the talent: Sarah Treem adapting the novel for the screen, someone like Sarita Choudhury (And Just Like That) for Shirin, maybe Negar Shaghari for Niaz?
May 2, 2025
I like a good family saga - and this is that, with the added bonus (for those of us who don't know much more than a handful of headlines) of being steeped in Persian culture and 20th century Iranian history. I enjoyed meeting each of Mahloudji's Persian women - even the perpetually annoying Shirin (and the suite of audio narrators depicting each of them is excellent).
Where the novel slipped for me was pacing. The big reveal (not much of one) is a long time coming and then not much comes of it. A very little plot is an engine for a lot of book. The book's themes of bad and good motherhood and the relationship between wealth and purpose are worried at for a long time without much insight or resolution being provided.
Still a pleasant immersion and not too taxing chick lit that is a little smarter than most of that genre.
Where the novel slipped for me was pacing. The big reveal (not much of one) is a long time coming and then not much comes of it. A very little plot is an engine for a lot of book. The book's themes of bad and good motherhood and the relationship between wealth and purpose are worried at for a long time without much insight or resolution being provided.
Still a pleasant immersion and not too taxing chick lit that is a little smarter than most of that genre.
Read
August 4, 2025Shortlisted for the 2025 Women’s Prize in Fiction
listened as an audiobook, but we have the hardcover in our library… ambitious for a debut, but just fell short for me. might try it again in print format, but even more I’m definitely going to keep an eye out for future publications!
listened as an audiobook, but we have the hardcover in our library… ambitious for a debut, but just fell short for me. might try it again in print format, but even more I’m definitely going to keep an eye out for future publications!
dnf
May 3, 2025DNF @54 %
Every 30 pages or so there will be a thread that catches my interest but then the story goes back to a gigantic cast of characters that I can't keep straight. This is one of those books that makes me feel like I'm listening to a story with my ears muffled; I'm missing things and can't understand half of what is going on.
Every 30 pages or so there will be a thread that catches my interest but then the story goes back to a gigantic cast of characters that I can't keep straight. This is one of those books that makes me feel like I'm listening to a story with my ears muffled; I'm missing things and can't understand half of what is going on.
March 2, 2025
I listened to the audio book and it felt like eavesdropping on my aunties in the best way. I loved how complex the characters were and the scenes that were set in 70's Iran. A very entertaining story. ✨
June 4, 2025
This may not be the most popular offering on the Women's Prize shortlist, but I really enjoyed this entertaining family drama.
The Persians tells the stories of three generations of women ranging from the outrageously rich to the revolutionary. We are taken from Iran in the 1940s to New York in the 2000s, and follow the intertwined stories of a family both materially privileged, but also fractured and uprooted.
The characters are flawed and it took me a while to warm to them, but ultimately, this story had a lot of heart.
A full review and discussion will be posted on my channel this evening.
The Persians tells the stories of three generations of women ranging from the outrageously rich to the revolutionary. We are taken from Iran in the 1940s to New York in the 2000s, and follow the intertwined stories of a family both materially privileged, but also fractured and uprooted.
The characters are flawed and it took me a while to warm to them, but ultimately, this story had a lot of heart.
A full review and discussion will be posted on my channel this evening.
May 2, 2025
I thought initially that this was going to be a wild ride through a large extended family of Iranian women in New York city. But unfortunately I found it to be circular, dull, frustrating and slow. 2.5 stars.
May 26, 2025
This is a multi generational saga tracing a family that fled from Iran after the Revolution in 1979 and made a new life for themselves in the United States. Back home, they were a "Name" family which could trace its direct lineage back to the "Great Warrior" who had tried to bring democracy to Persia. In the US, however, the distinguished family name (which interestingly was being carried forward by the women despite marrying men with less distinguished surnames) didn't mean very much, except to other families of Persian descent, particularly those with "No Name". Though they are well off in the US, some of the members of the family struggle to come to terms with the fact that far from being acknowledged as "superior", they are often the target of racial attacks.
The story is told from the perspective of the matriarch who stays back in Persia, the two daughters who migrate to the US and led very different lives, and the daughters of the daughters one of whom grows up in the US, and the other who was tricked into remaining in Iran with the grandmother. Some of these women crave attention and will do anything to remain in the spotlight. Others turn their rebellion inwards, and some try to come to terms with their reality. Persian society is clearly as classist as Indian society, and I could literally visualise very similar stories playing out in an Indian context (that many Persian phrases are similar to Urdu ones was a bonus). The book gives the illusion of being an easy read, but it asks important questions, and leaves you to seek the answers yourself.
The story is told from the perspective of the matriarch who stays back in Persia, the two daughters who migrate to the US and led very different lives, and the daughters of the daughters one of whom grows up in the US, and the other who was tricked into remaining in Iran with the grandmother. Some of these women crave attention and will do anything to remain in the spotlight. Others turn their rebellion inwards, and some try to come to terms with their reality. Persian society is clearly as classist as Indian society, and I could literally visualise very similar stories playing out in an Indian context (that many Persian phrases are similar to Urdu ones was a bonus). The book gives the illusion of being an easy read, but it asks important questions, and leaves you to seek the answers yourself.
April 17, 2025
I heard this audiobook on Libby.
It's a multi generation story about Elisabeth, her daughters Shirin, Seema, Niaz, and grand daughter Bita. They comprise the Valiat family.
Once a well known family in Iran, they too fled to America during the revolution like many others. I liked that part where author describes how they are taking their jewels to another country and the trip to the airport as they leave behind their memories. Leaving behind Elisabeth and Niaz In Iran as Elisabeth never wanted to leave.
The story takes us through Tehran, Los Angeles, New York, Aspen. Shirin leads the high life and falls into trouble with the law.
This brings about the entire family together, including Elisabeth her mother and daughter Niaz to Aspen, to get Shirin to her senses.
Secrets come out, gossips are shared and there are some funny moments in the book. They even manage to celebrate Navroz in Aspen, the beginning of a New Year.
This is a female oriented story about the women during the revolution and life during the 1980's in Los Angeles or Tehrangeles.
I am not so sure if the ending was perfect. It quite left me thinking about Shirin.
This could make a good BOTM to be discussed.. it's funny, it's serious and you can get through it.
Do pick up for a quick read.
It's a multi generation story about Elisabeth, her daughters Shirin, Seema, Niaz, and grand daughter Bita. They comprise the Valiat family.
Once a well known family in Iran, they too fled to America during the revolution like many others. I liked that part where author describes how they are taking their jewels to another country and the trip to the airport as they leave behind their memories. Leaving behind Elisabeth and Niaz In Iran as Elisabeth never wanted to leave.
The story takes us through Tehran, Los Angeles, New York, Aspen. Shirin leads the high life and falls into trouble with the law.
This brings about the entire family together, including Elisabeth her mother and daughter Niaz to Aspen, to get Shirin to her senses.
Secrets come out, gossips are shared and there are some funny moments in the book. They even manage to celebrate Navroz in Aspen, the beginning of a New Year.
This is a female oriented story about the women during the revolution and life during the 1980's in Los Angeles or Tehrangeles.
I am not so sure if the ending was perfect. It quite left me thinking about Shirin.
This could make a good BOTM to be discussed.. it's funny, it's serious and you can get through it.
Do pick up for a quick read.
Read
February 10, 2025DNF very early. Not my thing. Characters were creepy and writing was weird. This was an ARC copy.
March 23, 2025
This may be the most biased review I’ve ever written and I don’t care because I loved and appreciated this book so much.
I don’t think I’ve read anything like it as far as books featuring Persians go. The characters are complicated, sometimes unlikeable and hard to understand but their histories inform their actions and characterizations. I also think the flow of the book felt a bit disjointed at times - I also wonder what it would be like for a non Persian to read? There were some things I just understood because I’m Persian but I’m not sure how they would be perceived by another person haha.
This is a book about mothers and daughters, about what it means to be Persian in Iran and America and so much more. This book is hilarious and ridiculous and I know my Persian aunts would probably be insulted by the accuracy of the some of the depictions 😂. It’s also heart-rending and captivating and for that I loved it.
I don’t think I’ve read anything like it as far as books featuring Persians go. The characters are complicated, sometimes unlikeable and hard to understand but their histories inform their actions and characterizations. I also think the flow of the book felt a bit disjointed at times - I also wonder what it would be like for a non Persian to read? There were some things I just understood because I’m Persian but I’m not sure how they would be perceived by another person haha.
This is a book about mothers and daughters, about what it means to be Persian in Iran and America and so much more. This book is hilarious and ridiculous and I know my Persian aunts would probably be insulted by the accuracy of the some of the depictions 😂. It’s also heart-rending and captivating and for that I loved it.
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