The Marchers: A Novel

by Mo H. Saidi, Robert Flynn (Foreword)

Much of the story occurs during the chaos of the Iranian Revolution. With rising opposition, the Shah fled the country, and Ayatollah Khomeini returned. The protagonist in the novel, Cyrus, who has been living in America, fails to see any connection between U.S. politics and Iranian chaos when he returns to Iran. His family has little interest in America or American politics, but it is the dead man at the table when they discuss the hated Shah, the bombing of government buildings, the marchers in the streets, and their own future. As an outsider in his own home, Cyrus observes how his family, his friends, and former colleagues are split apart by ideas, forces, and plots they cannot see and against which they cannot defend themselves.

Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2015

Reviews

[Celia Crotteau · Rating 4 out of 5]

This arresting and sometimes disturbing novel follows the lives of three student protestors during and after the Iranian Revolution of 1979. One dies in prison, while two choose to flee the land of their birth. Their destinies are intertwined with that of an Iranian-American physician who travels back to the land of his birth to visit his dying mother. Horrified at the changes imposed in Iranian society, he finds himself caught up in the escape attempt of the two surviving students.

While the overall plot is exciting, what most interested me was the detailed description of characters' daily lives during this tumultuous and difficult time. People fall in and out of love, enjoy food and drink and talk, sicken and die or recover. The Tolstoyian touch further enriches an already good read.

[Marzieh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was born at the end of the period that is described in this book. As a curious being, and a person who spent 26 years of her life in Iran after the revolution, I always wanted to know more regarding the stories that have happened in the past. The book perfectly describes the social, political and the environment before and after the revolution. Since there are not enough resources regarding the various groups that helped the revolution to succeed, the book tells the vivid story of what happened to them during both periods.

[Oscar · Rating 3 out of 5]

the book was good.