The Persians
By Sanam Mahloudji
Review by Claudia
Bita bails her Auntie Shirin out of jail in Aspen. To Bita, the looming charges are a major problem. Shirin, on the other hand, insists they go shopping. Maman Elizabeth is getting on alright back in Iran, but her other granddaughter Niaz is beginning to suspect she has not been told the entire story about her mother’s escape from the Islamic Revolution. And then there is Seema, wondering always if she is destined to be as bad at motherhood as her mother, Elizabeth.
The Persians is a novel that will not behave- much like Auntie Shirin! Five women from a wealthy Iranian family take turns in the spotlight for this intergenerational story. The reader is shown Elizabeth’s girlhood in pre-revolution Iran; Shirin and Seema navigating a conspicuously wealthy slice of American society that keeps them on the fringes; and Niaz and Bita in the boondocks of youthful discontent. Mahloudji explores how each character copes with their unique sense of unrest, and how they come to understand how precious their family is.
My favourite part of the book was watching Niaz covertly rebel against The Government of the Islamic Republic. The chapters on her experience as a teenager and a university student were intense. Affairs of the heart motivate both Maman Elizabeth and her granddaughter Niaz with varying degrees of success. The intimacy described and the treatment of First Love was both relatable and fresh, I audibly “aww”-ed and at other times wanted to shout, “yes!” The Valiat family fortune and social network has saved Niaz’s life more than once – but should covert resistance to the culture police be only for the rich and bored in Iran? Her grandmother Elizabeth was an artist and the granddaughter of one of Iran’s heroes – but freedom to live her life as she wished it vanished long before the revolution of 1979.
I enjoyed this novel because of the strength of the characters. Mahloudji brings something vivid and fresh to the contemporary novel form here. The more I read, the more I wanted to read. I was thrilled to see it shortlisted for the 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction!
