The Fortune Catcher

by Susanne Pari

Like Jean P. Sassoon's Princess, this emotionally charged debut novel offers a penetrating look behind the curtain of secrecy that shrouds modern Iran, exploring the dreams of the women there and telling the dramatic story of an American-Iranian woman whose once-perfect life and love fall victim to the battle between old and new ways.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Iran, Family

448 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1997

About the author

Susanne Pari is a novelist, journalist, essayist, book reviewer, and author interviewer. Born in New Jersey to an Iranian father and an American mother, she grew up both in the United States and Iran until the 1979 Islamic Revolution forced her family into permanent exile. Since then, her writing has focused on stories of displacement and belonging, of identity and assimilation, of trauma and resilience.

Susanne's first novel, The Fortune Catcher, told the story of a young woman—American and Iranian, Jewish and Muslim—caught in the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution. It has been translated into six languages. Her second novel, IN THE TIME OF OUR HISTORY, is about a large immigrant family grappling with the future of their traditions as their American-born children step outside their expected roles, shaking loose their foundations—and their secrets.

Susanne's non-fiction writing has appeared in The New York Times Sunday Magazine, The Christian Science Monitor, The Boston Globe, The San Francisco Chronicle, National Public Radio, and Medium.

Susanne was the Program Director for the 25 literary salons of Book Group Expo and is still a strong supporter of book clubs and their facilitators. She is a mentor to immigrant and first generation writers and contributes to the Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies. She taught writing for the Afghan Women's Writing Project, was a judge for The California Center for the Book’s Letters About Literature Contest and for the Lakota Children's Enrichment Writing Project. She's a member of the National Book Critics Circle, PEN America, and The San Francisco Writers’ Grotto. She divides her time between Northern California and New York.

Reviews

[Patricia Strickland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this paperback at Black Oak Books, one of my favorite book stores in Oakland. It is not a mystery, and that is the section where I found it, but oh, am I glad it was mis-shelved. Once I started this book, I only put it down to go to work, and I read a couple of week nights until 1 or 2 in the morning. The book goes back and forth in time between the Shah's regime in Iran, and the post-Khomeini Iran. The main character is Layla, who has an Iranian Muslim father and an American Jewish mother. Her mother dies when Layla is an infant. Her father is a wealthy businessman under the Shah and his family has a compound in Tehran, and a larger compound in the foothills of the Alborz Mountains with a magnificant "bagh" one of those fabled Persian gardens full of fruit trees and exotic flowers and shrubbery and vines and herbs. He and his daughter and her nanny, Banu, live in New York City during the school year and return to Iran for summer vacations. (They also have a villa in Cannes.) Layla is thoroughly westernized, but loves returning to Iran and visiting the daughter of the neighboring oligarch, Mariam, and, as she grows older, more especially Mariam's handsome cousin, Dariush. The cousins are both devoted to the matriach of the family, their paternal grandmother, Maman Bozorg (Banu calls the old woman "a tower of snake poison.") Maman Bozorg comes from a family that was wealthy even before the Shah, but she blames the Shah for her mother's death. And she becomes a seething fundamentalist long before the revolution. She keeps her granddaughter in her house to avoid the influence of her mother, Maman's daughter-in-law, whom she finds to be too Westernized. She tries to keep her grandson at her side as well, away from the influence of his Russian born mother. But more than anyone else she hates Layla, who disrupts their lives every summer, bringing her American lack of respect and free thinking to the neighboring compound, counteracting the lessons of piety that Maman B has been instilling in Mariam and Dariush the rest of the year. The matriarch also hates the fact that Layla is a "Jew" even though Layla is ignorant of any Jewish customs, and has been brought up to enjoy Iranian traditions, such as the spring New Year, but has had no religious training of any kind.

There is no stopping the attraction between Layla and Dariush, especially once he breaks free of Maman Bozorg and goes to Harvard, and spends time with Layla not only in New York, but the South of France. They are in love and in the U.S. when the Shah is deposed. But both are lured back to Iran and trapped, thereafter, and have to rely on an old schoolmate of Dariush who may be their savior or their assassin.

I rushed to the Internet to discover what other books Ms. Pari had written, and found, to my dismay that this is her only published novel. Highest recommendation.

[Mellisa Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve only come across a couple of authors who make it impossible for me to set their work down- this is one of them. I love this storytelling.

[Cyndi · Rating 3 out of 5]

About star-crossed lovers suffering from their bad mistake to return to their native Iran to marry. In flashbacks, alternate voices, and the story as it moves forward, you get a strong sense of what it was like to be part of the Iranian upper middle class before, during, and after the Revolution. Well-written with an engaging story, though many of the characters are so spoiled with privilege it's hard to feel sorry for them, at least for the milder of their troubles.

[Brian · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really thought this was going to be a good book and I liked the start of it but when the “C” word for female genitalia was used on page 26 I decided it wasn’t right for me. I am thankful that I didn’t waste more time on it than I did because I’m not sure what foul language was used after that.

[Izabela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Den Blinde Siaren som boken heter på svenska . Så fruktansvärt bra , kunde inte sluta läsa. Boken beskriver situationen innan och efter revolutionen i Irak. Självklart finns den en kärlekshistoria för vad är en roman utan det men fortfarande är det en bok son jag kommer minnas .

[Layla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book admist my journey in learning about my father's country....this is fiction, but based off of actual accounts, love it.

[Carrie Schaefer · Rating 5 out of 5]

you really go to iran.

[Elizabeth Sulzby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Suzanne Pari's first novel. I read it after reading her more recent book, In the History of Our Times. This is a much darker story with twists and turns I did not expect, especially at the end of the book. After much agony of the manipulation of Layla and Darius by Amir Hakim, the very end of the book is a mix of satisfying and lack of satisfaction.

Using the research in Story Grammar, I would say this book has only a resolution but not a REACTION or expansion of the resolution. The two main characters are persons of character but many of the side characters, Maman B. and Omire are pure evil, both manipulative in the inth degree. Miriam, however, is a weak character who ends up repenting and resolving her life, but in a sad way.

The writing is beautiful and the plot is satisfactory to the author's implied intent. I heartily recommend this book about Iran, especially after the Islamic Revolution, and Iranian immigrants. This author of Iranian heritage has certainly done her research deeply and in great detail.

[Aldrich Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first caveat is this book starts out very emotionally triggering and tragic but winds up very hopeful in a way that does not often happen in the real world.This book is a reminder that we must never let America fall into religious fundamentalism as Iran did with Islam because it has destroyed so many lives. It is a very valuable read for any adult. But since it is emotionally triggering too I need to take a break and read something light-hearted.

[Elizabeth Basileo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written, exciting, yet heartbreaking story of Iran before during and after the end of the Shah’s regime and the Ayatollah Khomeini’s time. This is the second of SuzannePari’s books I’ve read and they have both been amazing. I wish she would write more…or faster!

[Dana Knapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grateful to live here

This is an incredibly intense read, a beautiful romance, and a terrifying reminder of how lucky one is to live in the United States of America.

[Susie PajaritoSuz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I have ever read. It is gripping. The story and the characters pulled me in and I had a hard time putting this book down!

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

What happens when life as you've come to know becomes illegal, immoral, a reason for your death? This is the dilemma facing the main character, a woman born in Iran but raised in both Iran and the US. She returns one year with her Iranian fiance to marry, and the country they knew had disappeared and been replaced by religious fanatics. A fascinating read.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an absoluty tragic and sad story. The reason for the low rateing is because I couldn't get into it for almost 1/2 the book. It was really a basic refugee suvivor story with a touch of love story thrown in. Almost had to say same ole same ole really. SP did write this story well and her plot was ok...it's just not my cup of tea.

[Mahbod · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book of its kind and one of the best...

[Kathi Kamen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful writing, inspiring story.

[Terese]

still havent finished this one. its my go to book when i dont have anything else to read. dont know why i cant get into it.

[Regil Aput · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tragic story of love in Tehran during Revolutionary Times. Money and bribery for the escape- not so bad if you need it.

[Ayelet Waldman]

Okay, I'll admit it -- Susanne is my friend. I gobbled up this book in a day. If you want some insight into Islamic Fundamentalism and a good read at the same time, this is your book.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

the MOST amazing book ever

[Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book.