An Iranian Odyssey

Odyssey: A long wandering usually marked by many changes in fortune.

If people evolve as the result of circumstances in their lives, the main character of An Iranian Odyssey by Rana Soleimani has transcended the norm in ways many may never understand until reading this novel. Stories of assimilation offer a cauldron of hopes, dreams, and disappointments, all folded into a realization that one can never truly return home. Soleimani delivers a gutwrenching perspective on a solitary “Iranian princess” as she wades headlong into Swedish society with her young son, seeking asylum without so much as one official paper such as a birth certificate, passport, or identification card. Such was the haste in which they departed.

Reviewing a book in which the main character, as narrator, has no name is challenging. She has no name until chapter ten of twelve, yet the significance of this is quite symbolic. Government officials in Tehran burst into this woman’s home, grabbing her, her husband, and young son with no explanation as to why. Her husband is killed, son released, and while the protagonist survives in spite of harsh treatment, she takes her son and escapes across many northwestern borders into Sweden. Her first money-making endeavor is serving as a surrogate; then waitress, then health care assistant. After many trials, she manages to secure permanent resident status. To retain this status, she must continue to work.

On New Year’s Eve she shares this: “Feeling lonely, I felt humiliated. I longed for our Persian New Year…there was only cold and loneliness here.”

This beautiful young mother is vulnerable, being immersed in a culture, unlike her own, in which public displays of affection are common, something she tries to accommodate as she falls in love with a tall, lanky, light skinned Swede named Johann. Their friendship becomes a passionate one, even as her Iranian girlfriend warns her about this man’s intentions.

An Iranian Odyssey delivers powerful insight into one woman’s sojourn as an undocumented immigrant seeking to navigate the trials of finding housing, friendship, childcare, employment, and learning a new language and culture, all while providing safety and security for herself and her son. This mother and her son face a rollercoaster of emotions, betrayals, setbacks, and finally, the acceptance of a new life they’d never planned on.

This novel has been translated from Persian to English. In many places unfamiliarity with standard norms (usage, punctuation) of the English language can be noted. Although this contributed to several unclear meanings, the story itself is a very interesting and critical one. I recommend this book to all students of humanities, foreign studies, as well as anyone interested in learning more about what immigrants to a new land may experience.