Touching story of the travails of Iranian family life
Flawlessly translated by Sanam Kalantari, this is the second novel by Iranian psychologist, Parinoush Saniee. Her first novel was translated into 25 languages and won several awards, and this one is likely to follow suit.
It tells the heart-rending story of a boy called Shahaab who chooses not to speak until the age of seven. It is remarkable for the psychological realism of its depiction of a bright young boy who is so badly damaged by the tensions within his family, that he chooses to be judged an idiot rather than show his intelligence.
