Reviewed by Cynthia Murphy
Mahbod Seraji makes an impressive literary debut with Rooftops of Tehran. Set in the turbulent 1970s, Rooftops of Tehran tells the story of a young man named Pasha. During the summer, Pasha spends most evenings on the roof with his best friend, Ahmed. They spend the evenings talking and laughing like most teenagers. In the summer of 1973, Pasha falls in love with the beautiful girl next door, Zari. There is one flaw in the relationship; Zari has been betrothed since birth to another man. To complicate matters, that man happens to be Pasha’s mentor, Doctor.
As the summer progresses, Pasha and Zari form a strong bond. Doctor disappears for most of the summer. He is involved in radical political activities. Doctor appears at Zari’s door one night with Iran’s secret police, the SAVAK, close behind. Pasha accidently reveals Doctor’s whereabouts. When Doctor is arrested, the idyllic routine that was established during the summer vanishes. What follows is a mix of tragedy and recovery.
Rooftops of Tehran features lyrical prose and an intriguing plot. Seraji flashes between the summer and Pasha’s stay in Roozbeh Psychiatric Hospital during the following winter. The mystery builds as the details of Pasha and Zari’s relationship are revealed. Seraji does a wonderful job of building and maintaining the suspense throughout the novel. The shocking reason for Pasha’s hospital stay remains shrouded in mystery until late in the novel. For a first time novelist, Seraji’s skill with creating suspense is both surprising and impressive.
The friendship between Pasha and Ahmed is also well-crafted. Seraji captures the camaraderie between the boys with honesty and genuine emotion. His depiction of their conversations provides some of the novel’s best humor. He also shows the serious side of their relationship as the boys deal with falling in love for the first time. Ahmed is the first person to know about Pasha’s love for Zari. He also helps Pasha cope with his guilt over Doctor’s imprisonment.
The setting plays an important role in the novel. Iran was on the verge of a revolution in 1973. As the Shah tried to maintain his power, revolutionaries worked to unite the people. The SAVAK served as the Shah’s secret police and a source of fear throughout the country. As the novel progresses, the political climate grows increasingly unstable. It influences both the plot and the overall mood of the book. Seraji treats the setting like another character in the novel.
With the
current political situation in Iran, Rooftops
of Tehran seems particularly timely.
It offers a unique glimpse into the Persian culture. Mahbod Seraji incorporates universal themes
such as first love and the search for one’s own identity.
Like most teenagers, Pasha has to find a
balance between his own dreams and his parents’ dreams for him. By using such universal themes, Seraji is
able to reveal details of life in Iran while still making his novel
accessible
to American readers. The result is a
beautiful, gripping novel that stays in the reader’s mind long after it
is
finished. Rooftops of Tehran
is a promising start to what should be a long
literary career.