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In 1976 Iran is a peaceful,
prosperous and westernized country. Katrin is an eight year old girl growing up
in Northern Iran in a family who follows a minority religion known as the Bahai
Religion. Katrin’s seventeen year old sister, Nassrin, commits suicide when
Katrin’s father disapproves of Nassrin’s relationship with Hossein who came
from a Moslem family. As the family works through their grief, Iran’s political
situation destabilizes when various political factions such as pro-democracy
students and Islamic fundamentalists vie to overthrow the government through a
violent revolution. The bloody revolution is followed by a full-scale
war with Iraq, as Iran’s government cracks down on the civil rights of its
citizens and openly discriminates against Bahais. Katrin who sees no future for
herself in Iran decides to leave for the United States, but she has to brave a
trip through the desert of Eastern Iran into Pakistan with the aid of human
traffickers.
Her story in the United
States is a personal account with a fresh view of an Iranian Bahai who is new
to the western culture as she struggles to find her place in life. There are
more twists and turns when she falls in love with a Moslem man who is younger
than her and his mother will not give her blessing to their marriage.
The main subject of this book
is Katrin’s emotional story with a message of religious tolerance. It is an
allegorical tale for all who have ever lost control of their lives as a
consequence of unforeseen events or prejudices of society. This book is very
unique because it gives the readers a first hand and unbiased view of Iran’s
revolution, the Iran-Iraq war and the changes that took place in
post-revolution Iran. It is also unique because this is the only known book
written by a Bahai without the review and approval of the Bahai religious
governing council.
With the continuing war on
terrorism and rising hostilities between the U.S. and Iran this book is an
unbiased inside view of Iran for those interested in the subject. The story has
many exciting twists and there are many facts about Iran, Iranian culture and
Bahaism that is interesting to readers who are not familiar with these
subjects. The book is available now via all online
bookstores. The book is slated for official release on July 10th, 2006 by
PublishAmerica, a Maryland based publishing company.
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