''The Septembers of Shiraz'' (2007) is a debut novel by

Iranian American Iranian Americans are United States citizens or nationals who are of Iranian ancestry or who hold Iranian citizenship. Iranian Americans are among the most highly educated people in the United States. They have historically excelled in busin ...

author

Dalia Sofer Dalia Sofer ( fa, دالیا سوفر , born 1972) is an Iranian-born American writer. Early life and education Born in Tehran, Iran, she was raised in a Jewish family during revolutionary Iran. At age 11 she moved to New York City. Later she st ...

. It narrates the lives of a well-to-do Iranian family during and after the

Iranian revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...

which additionally overthrew the

Shah Shah (; fa, شاه, , ) is a royal title that was historically used by the leading figures of Iranian monarchies.Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) It was also used by a variety of ...

and ushered in the

Islamic republic The term Islamic republic has been used in different ways. Some Muslim religious leaders have used it as the name for a theoretical form of Islamic theocratic government enforcing sharia, or laws compatible with sharia. The term has also been u ...

. There is also a subplot involving a Hasidic family in New York. The book's new cover is designed by Claire Vaccaro.

Awards and honors

*2007 New York Times Notable Book of the Year *2007 National Jewish Book Award, finalist *2008 PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize, winner *2008 Orange Prize, longlist *2009 International Dublin Literary Award, longlist *2009

Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature Choice Award The Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature is an annual prize awarded to an outstanding literary work of Jewish interest by an emerging writer. Previously administered by the Jewish Book Council, it is now given in association with the National Libr ...

, winner

Notes

* In 2009, the novel was selected for the eighth annual

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

, Mayor's Book Club challenge – "an annual citywide reading campaign to develop a community experience through reading and discussion of shared books."

References

External links

'Septembers of Shiraz' a First Novel, Set in Tehran
book review on ''

All Things Considered ''All Things Considered'' (''ATC'') is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio (NPR). It was the first news program on NPR, premiering on May 3, 1971. It is broadcast live on NPR affiliated stations in the United ...

'' from NPR
A Tale of Terror in Iran
book review from

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

Iranian riches, rags, and carpets
book review from

The Christian Science Monitor ''The Christian Science Monitor'' (''CSM''), commonly known as ''The Monitor'', is a nonprofit news organization that publishes daily articles in electronic format as well as a weekly print edition. It was founded in 1908 as a daily newspaper ...

Lost in Tehran
book review from

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

Iranian novels Novels set in the Iranian Revolution 2007 American novels 2007 debut novels {{2000s-novel-stub