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Mirage
Set in contemporary Iran, Mirage delves into the complicated relationship between Roya and her identical twin sister, Tala.
Their inseparable bond becomes hard to maintain as they grow older, but when they both get pregnant at the same time, their relationship is rekindled. After an accident causes Roya to miscarry and Tala to go into labor, grief, jealousy, suspicion, and guilt fracture that recently renewed relationship. Delving deep into the human psyche, Nahid Rachlin intricately explores themes of sisterly identity, betrayal, envy, depression, loss, and the impact of memories. Like Ottessa Moshfegh's Death in Her Hands (Penguin Press, 2020), Mirage artfully juxtaposes the sociopolitical dynamics of contemporary Iran with a story of the nature of grief and redemption that will take firm hold of your heart.
Their inseparable bond becomes hard to maintain as they grow older, but when they both get pregnant at the same time, their relationship is rekindled. After an accident causes Roya to miscarry and Tala to go into labor, grief, jealousy, suspicion, and guilt fracture that recently renewed relationship. Delving deep into the human psyche, Nahid Rachlin intricately explores themes of sisterly identity, betrayal, envy, depression, loss, and the impact of memories. Like Ottessa Moshfegh's Death in Her Hands (Penguin Press, 2020), Mirage artfully juxtaposes the sociopolitical dynamics of contemporary Iran with a story of the nature of grief and redemption that will take firm hold of your heart.
251 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 27, 2024
2 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Nahid Rachlin
19 books478 followersBooks by Nahid Rachlin: nahidr@rcn.com
http://www.amazon.com/Nahid-
Nahid Rachlin went to Columbia University Writing Program on a Doubleday-Columbia Fellowship and then went on to Stanford University MFA program on a Stegner Fellowship. Her publications include a memoir, PERSIAN GIRLS (Penguin), four novels, JUMPING OVER FIRE (City Lights), FOREIGNER (W.W. Norton), MARRIED TO A STRANGER (E.P.Dutton-Penguin), THE HEART'S DESIRE (City Lights), and a collection of short stories, VEILS (City Lights). CROWD OF SORROWS, (Kindle Singles).
You can listen to my reading of three flash-fiction stories at https://soundcloud.com/roommagazine/t...
Her individual short stories have appeared in more than fifty magazines, including The Virginia Quarterly Review, Prairie Schooner, Redbook, Shenandoah. One of her stories was adopted by Symphony Space, “Selected Shorts,” and was aired on NPR’s around the country and two stories were nominated for Pushcart Prize. Her work has received favorable reviews in major magazines and newspapers and translated into Portuguese, Polish, Italian, Dutch, German, Arabic, and Persian. She has been interviewed in NPR stations such as All Things Considered (Terry Gross), P&W magazine, Writers Chronicle. She has written reviews and essays for New York Times, Newsday, Washington Post and Los Angeles Times. Other grants and awards she has received include the Bennet Cerf Award, PEN Syndicated Fiction Project Award, and a National Endowment for the Arts grant. She has taught creative writing at Barnard College, Yale University and at a wide variety of writers conferences, including Paris Writers Conference, Geneva Writers Conference, and Yale Writers Conference. She has been judge for several fiction awards and competitions, among them, Grace Paley Prize in Short Fiction (2015) sponsored by AWP, Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award sponsored by Poets & Writers, Katherine Anne Porter Fiction Prize, University of Maryland, English Dept, Teichmann Fiction Prize, Barnard College, English Dept. For more please click on her website: website: http://www.nahidrachlin.com
http://www.amazon.com/Nahid-
Nahid Rachlin went to Columbia University Writing Program on a Doubleday-Columbia Fellowship and then went on to Stanford University MFA program on a Stegner Fellowship. Her publications include a memoir, PERSIAN GIRLS (Penguin), four novels, JUMPING OVER FIRE (City Lights), FOREIGNER (W.W. Norton), MARRIED TO A STRANGER (E.P.Dutton-Penguin), THE HEART'S DESIRE (City Lights), and a collection of short stories, VEILS (City Lights). CROWD OF SORROWS, (Kindle Singles).
You can listen to my reading of three flash-fiction stories at https://soundcloud.com/roommagazine/t...
Her individual short stories have appeared in more than fifty magazines, including The Virginia Quarterly Review, Prairie Schooner, Redbook, Shenandoah. One of her stories was adopted by Symphony Space, “Selected Shorts,” and was aired on NPR’s around the country and two stories were nominated for Pushcart Prize. Her work has received favorable reviews in major magazines and newspapers and translated into Portuguese, Polish, Italian, Dutch, German, Arabic, and Persian. She has been interviewed in NPR stations such as All Things Considered (Terry Gross), P&W magazine, Writers Chronicle. She has written reviews and essays for New York Times, Newsday, Washington Post and Los Angeles Times. Other grants and awards she has received include the Bennet Cerf Award, PEN Syndicated Fiction Project Award, and a National Endowment for the Arts grant. She has taught creative writing at Barnard College, Yale University and at a wide variety of writers conferences, including Paris Writers Conference, Geneva Writers Conference, and Yale Writers Conference. She has been judge for several fiction awards and competitions, among them, Grace Paley Prize in Short Fiction (2015) sponsored by AWP, Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award sponsored by Poets & Writers, Katherine Anne Porter Fiction Prize, University of Maryland, English Dept, Teichmann Fiction Prize, Barnard College, English Dept. For more please click on her website: website: http://www.nahidrachlin.com
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 18, 2024
It is refreshing to read stories set in different cultural contexts. This book provides a good authentic setting for the story set in Iran, including the political dynamics at play, and the aspirations of the people. Some of the key incidents come across as too convenient and the writing could have been better.
Roya & Tala are identical twin sisters. The story is told from Roya’s perspective. Their father was a professor and their mother a Farsi - Spanish translator. People tell them about how similar they are, and their mother had emphasized that they need to stand for each other all their lives. Though they are close, there is also an undercurrent of tension bordering on distrust at times. The story traverses back to their childhood on and off. Tala gets married to Anton, a Russian national conducting business in Iran. Tala is not sure what business he is in, but suspects there might be some illegal aspects to it. Anton is also a domineering husband. Roya get married to Reza. While she has a good understanding with him, she is worried as he writes articles for an underground newspaper. Roya & Tala plan their pregnancy at the same time. Roya & Tala are visiting the town of Rey, when a structure collapse injures them. Roya loses her baby and is distraught. Tala delivers a baby boy, and she names him Tavoos. A lot is to follow with each of the characters.
I liked the cultural context and the tensions in society as the rigid rules conflict with peoples aspirations for freedom. The character development could have been better. The key incident involving the accident is very poorly described.
Overall, an interesting story which could have capitalized better on the potential it offered.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher Red Hen Press and the author for a free electronic review copy.
Roya & Tala are identical twin sisters. The story is told from Roya’s perspective. Their father was a professor and their mother a Farsi - Spanish translator. People tell them about how similar they are, and their mother had emphasized that they need to stand for each other all their lives. Though they are close, there is also an undercurrent of tension bordering on distrust at times. The story traverses back to their childhood on and off. Tala gets married to Anton, a Russian national conducting business in Iran. Tala is not sure what business he is in, but suspects there might be some illegal aspects to it. Anton is also a domineering husband. Roya get married to Reza. While she has a good understanding with him, she is worried as he writes articles for an underground newspaper. Roya & Tala plan their pregnancy at the same time. Roya & Tala are visiting the town of Rey, when a structure collapse injures them. Roya loses her baby and is distraught. Tala delivers a baby boy, and she names him Tavoos. A lot is to follow with each of the characters.
I liked the cultural context and the tensions in society as the rigid rules conflict with peoples aspirations for freedom. The character development could have been better. The key incident involving the accident is very poorly described.
Overall, an interesting story which could have capitalized better on the potential it offered.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher Red Hen Press and the author for a free electronic review copy.
October 30, 2024
I have read many books set in different cultural settings by authors of different countries and I have loved reading the books and reading about the life in the countries I would never be able to experience myself. The reason to request Mirage was the same, to read about people from different countries make you understand how lives differ from one to another.
I have read and loved kite runner and Mirage somehow reminded me of the same experience. First of all I would say that although parts of the book are well written, it gave me an impression that it wasn't really published in English but is a translated work. I was actually shocked that it wasn't the case.
Mirage tells us a story of two twin sisters, Roya and Tala. The story is told by Roya. The book tells us how life of women in Iran is still difficult and there are so many constraints on women. But the highlight of the story isn't that but the relationship between two sisters. To be honest, the relationship between those two was toxic, there wasn't an ounce of love that I felt the sisters had for each other. There was competition, jealousy and betrayal which kind of made me hate both of them, and maybe that was author had intended to do.
The writing is clustered, lot many times author will break the flow suddenly by reminiscing old days or the past. It was okay in the start but it happened so often in the whole book , almost after every single thing the author was describing that it was breaking the flow of the narration.
The conversation between the characters are one liners and unrealistic, like they are written by someone who doesn't speak English well. It made reading whole book a disappointing experience. Like there's this incident when Tala breaks a big secret to Roya and the conversation is so mundane that it doesn't feel emotional, even after being a truth that can damage a relationship it felt like both the characters just shrugged it off and moved on.
Same happens towards the end when there should have been a emotional wreckage and turmoil between the two main characters , there's hardly anything of that sort. Throughout the book, every character is aloof in some way, like they all have a very formal relationship with each other and not blood relations or married to each other. All characters felt one dimensional and on a whole, the character development was really poor given that all that was discussed in the book was relationship between the twin sisters.
The dialogues are immature and it kept bugging me. It was very slow paced story and the whole experience was like reading someone's personal diary where entry was done day by day so it was lacking a flow that keeps readers engaged and felt very haphazardly written . Many a times I thought of quitting the book but I pushed myself thinking I will miss a really good book. Sadly the ending too disappointed me.
It felt like the dialogues were written by someone completely different , someone who isn't much familiar with English well enough, someone for whom English is third world language and other parts by someone who knows English quite well.
Overall I was completely and utterly disappointed with the book.
Thank you Netgalley and Red hen press for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.
I have read and loved kite runner and Mirage somehow reminded me of the same experience. First of all I would say that although parts of the book are well written, it gave me an impression that it wasn't really published in English but is a translated work. I was actually shocked that it wasn't the case.
Mirage tells us a story of two twin sisters, Roya and Tala. The story is told by Roya. The book tells us how life of women in Iran is still difficult and there are so many constraints on women. But the highlight of the story isn't that but the relationship between two sisters. To be honest, the relationship between those two was toxic, there wasn't an ounce of love that I felt the sisters had for each other. There was competition, jealousy and betrayal which kind of made me hate both of them, and maybe that was author had intended to do.
The writing is clustered, lot many times author will break the flow suddenly by reminiscing old days or the past. It was okay in the start but it happened so often in the whole book , almost after every single thing the author was describing that it was breaking the flow of the narration.
The conversation between the characters are one liners and unrealistic, like they are written by someone who doesn't speak English well. It made reading whole book a disappointing experience. Like there's this incident when Tala breaks a big secret to Roya and the conversation is so mundane that it doesn't feel emotional, even after being a truth that can damage a relationship it felt like both the characters just shrugged it off and moved on.
Same happens towards the end when there should have been a emotional wreckage and turmoil between the two main characters , there's hardly anything of that sort. Throughout the book, every character is aloof in some way, like they all have a very formal relationship with each other and not blood relations or married to each other. All characters felt one dimensional and on a whole, the character development was really poor given that all that was discussed in the book was relationship between the twin sisters.
The dialogues are immature and it kept bugging me. It was very slow paced story and the whole experience was like reading someone's personal diary where entry was done day by day so it was lacking a flow that keeps readers engaged and felt very haphazardly written . Many a times I thought of quitting the book but I pushed myself thinking I will miss a really good book. Sadly the ending too disappointed me.
It felt like the dialogues were written by someone completely different , someone who isn't much familiar with English well enough, someone for whom English is third world language and other parts by someone who knows English quite well.
Overall I was completely and utterly disappointed with the book.
Thank you Netgalley and Red hen press for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.
August 28, 2024
The story of *Mirage* is set in Iran, a country whose setting, culture, and political dynamics are explored with great care and attention to realism—even the emotions of the characters are vividly portrayed. Everything unfolds naturally, and each event is rich in relatable details, carefully placed at just the right moments to enrich the story without overwhelming it.
It's extremely easy to empathize with the two protagonists—two nearly identical sisters raised to support each other in everything, even when things get tough. One marries a wealthy Russian businessman who hides an authoritarian demeanor; the other marries a journalist who leaves her with no shortage of worries. When both become pregnant, a tragic accident ensures that only one can carry her pregnancy to term and give birth to a sweet baby boy.
Although the details and emotions are delicately and attentively conveyed, at certain points, the novel struggles to maintain its high standard. The greatest challenge lies in the most crucial plot point: the accident involving the two sisters, which is not adequately explained in the story. The descriptions in those pages are rather vague, making it difficult for the reader to understand how that series of events leads to subsequent developments.
Nonetheless, it remains a fascinating novel that I recommend for the care taken in the storytelling and in providing details consistent with the setting, despite the complexity of portraying such a state on paper. Being drawn to the characters and following their stories is certainly reason enough to pick up this book.
It's extremely easy to empathize with the two protagonists—two nearly identical sisters raised to support each other in everything, even when things get tough. One marries a wealthy Russian businessman who hides an authoritarian demeanor; the other marries a journalist who leaves her with no shortage of worries. When both become pregnant, a tragic accident ensures that only one can carry her pregnancy to term and give birth to a sweet baby boy.
Although the details and emotions are delicately and attentively conveyed, at certain points, the novel struggles to maintain its high standard. The greatest challenge lies in the most crucial plot point: the accident involving the two sisters, which is not adequately explained in the story. The descriptions in those pages are rather vague, making it difficult for the reader to understand how that series of events leads to subsequent developments.
Nonetheless, it remains a fascinating novel that I recommend for the care taken in the storytelling and in providing details consistent with the setting, despite the complexity of portraying such a state on paper. Being drawn to the characters and following their stories is certainly reason enough to pick up this book.
September 16, 2024
Long an admirer of the fiction of Nahid Rachlin, I was eager to read her latest, Mirage. It is an excellent addition to her other Persian novels. Here, she quickly establishes the close but potentially fraught relationship between identical twins, Roya, the first person narrator, and Tala. Through her signature spare style, Rachlin vividly creates the rich details of contemporary Iran, the world the twins inhabit. With equal precision, Rachlin establishes the emotional depth of the relationship the twins share. The sisters, so similar in appearance, others cannot tell them apart, their interior lives are vastly different. Tala, we learn, is the “darker side” of Roya. Their apparent parallel lives continue as they marry and become pregnant at the same time. Everything changes, however, when they fall into a literal and figurative abyss. The floor of the museum they are visiting collapses, causing injury and death. One infant survives; one succumbs. The sisters, once so close, become separated emotionally and physically. The gulf between them fills Roya with dread and doubt. Questions emerge: Did the “dark" twin take Roya's surviving baby? While there are comparisons of Mirage to Ottessa Moshfegh’s Death in Her Hands, I was reminded of the Neapolitan quartet by Elena Ferrante, Roya and Tala sharing qualities of the main characters, Lenu and Lila. But comparisons aside, Rachlin has created her own original and captivating novel in Mirage.
July 6, 2024
In "Mirage" by Nahid Rachlin, Roya narrates her life as the identical twin to Tala, exploring themes of loss, death, grief, betrayal, forgiveness, and the complex dynamics of sisterhood against the backdrop of contemporary Iran. Rachlin's evocative prose vividly captures the sociopolitical landscape of Iran under its current regime, intricately weaving it into the lives of her characters.
While immersed in Roya's narrative, I deeply empathized with her losses and frustrations. Tala, on the other hand, proved to be a character for whom I struggled to feel sympathy, given her actions that inflicted pain, sorrow, and anguish upon her sister. Throughout the story, I found myself hoping Roya would assert herself a bit more against Tala and express her inner turmoil. Nevertheless, I admired Roya for her resilience, strength, and capacity for forgiveness.
If you are looking for a story that explores sister relationships and enjoyed "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Housseini, I highly recommend this novel.
Special thanks to the Publisher, Red Hen Press and Net Galley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
While immersed in Roya's narrative, I deeply empathized with her losses and frustrations. Tala, on the other hand, proved to be a character for whom I struggled to feel sympathy, given her actions that inflicted pain, sorrow, and anguish upon her sister. Throughout the story, I found myself hoping Roya would assert herself a bit more against Tala and express her inner turmoil. Nevertheless, I admired Roya for her resilience, strength, and capacity for forgiveness.
If you are looking for a story that explores sister relationships and enjoyed "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Housseini, I highly recommend this novel.
Special thanks to the Publisher, Red Hen Press and Net Galley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
January 4, 2025
I really enjoyed the aspects of Iranian culture embedded in this book. I would say that the writing and dialogue felt a bit off for some reason? I’m don’t believe it is a translated work, but if it is that could explain it.
Going into it, I was expecting to see more of a descriptive story showing the development of Roya and Tala’s individual personalities and relationship. I would say reading this felt more like an extended diary entry/rant exhibiting Roya’s repetitive, circular anxieties fed primarily by the blatant distrust in her memory/recollection of her own life experiences. Not to say that is a bad thing, I quite enjoyed that aspect of it as it made me want to get to the end as fast as possible to see if there was any reliable sort of resolution!
I legitimately think this book could have just benefitted from being longer?! there is so much to be explored with relation to Iranian gender dynamics/marital power structures and the overall sociopolitical landscape that was unfortunately rather surface level
Going into it, I was expecting to see more of a descriptive story showing the development of Roya and Tala’s individual personalities and relationship. I would say reading this felt more like an extended diary entry/rant exhibiting Roya’s repetitive, circular anxieties fed primarily by the blatant distrust in her memory/recollection of her own life experiences. Not to say that is a bad thing, I quite enjoyed that aspect of it as it made me want to get to the end as fast as possible to see if there was any reliable sort of resolution!
I legitimately think this book could have just benefitted from being longer?! there is so much to be explored with relation to Iranian gender dynamics/marital power structures and the overall sociopolitical landscape that was unfortunately rather surface level
August 2, 2025
Set in contemporary Iran, this compelling novel follows the fortunes of twins Roya and Tala, inseparable from childhood, who grow up in Tehran but whose bond is tested after their marriages. Co-dependent, especially on Tala’s part, her unsuccessful marriage affects their relationship, but they grow closer again after both becomes pregnant at the same time. However, a visit to a local castle ends in disaster and everything changes for them for ever. Psychologically acute and insightful, it’s a novel about being twins and sisters and the attendant rivalry, about loss and grief, suspicion and secrets, all set against a backdrop of Iranian repression and cultural mores. Written in a spare and understated style, with nuanced characterisation and a plot, which, although dramatic, carefully avoids melodrama, it’s a novel I very much enjoyed and found myself caught up in the narrative. The authenticity of the setting and the details of everyday life in Iran add to the reading pleasure.
April 19, 2025
Never disappointed with Nahid Rachlin writings, one of the best Iranian novelists in my opinion
September 27, 2024
'Mirage' is a women's fiction novel about the lives of twin sisters who are seemingly codependent and yet competitive.
The story was fast-paced enough to keep me interested. However, the writing is so matter-of-fact that I didn’t feel as emotionally invested in the story, considering the heavy themes of loss, grief, betrayal, and trust.
I was fascinated by the description of contemporary Iran. Rachlin easily weaves in the discrepancies of the more traditional and modern areas in the nation.
If you enjoy reading about complex relationships between family or close friends and enjoy learning about a new culture in the process, then I recommend this book to you!
Special thanks to the Publisher, Red Hen Press and Net Galley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The story was fast-paced enough to keep me interested. However, the writing is so matter-of-fact that I didn’t feel as emotionally invested in the story, considering the heavy themes of loss, grief, betrayal, and trust.
I was fascinated by the description of contemporary Iran. Rachlin easily weaves in the discrepancies of the more traditional and modern areas in the nation.
If you enjoy reading about complex relationships between family or close friends and enjoy learning about a new culture in the process, then I recommend this book to you!
Special thanks to the Publisher, Red Hen Press and Net Galley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews