In the Time of Our History

Written by Susanne Pari

Narrated by Mozhan Marno

Inspired by her own family's experiences following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Susanne Pari explores the entangled lives within an Iranian American family grappling with generational culture clashes, the roles imposed on women, and a tragic accident that forces them to reconcile their guilt or forfeit their already tenuous bonds. Set between San Francisco and New Jersey in the late-1990s, In the Time of Our History is a story about the universal longing to create a home in this world-and what happens when we let go of how we've always been told it should look.

Twelve months after her younger sister Anahita's death, Mitra Jahani reluctantly returns to her parents' home in suburban New Jersey to observe the Iranian custom of "The One Year." Ana is always in Mitra's heart, though they chose very different paths. While Ana, sweet and dutiful, bowed to their domineering father's demands and married, Mitra rebelled, and was banished.

Caught in the middle is their mother, Shireen, torn between her fierce love for her surviving daughter and her loyalty to her husband. Yet his callousness even amid shattering loss has compelled her to rethink her own decades of submission. And when Mitra is suddenly forced to confront hard truths about her sister's life, mother and daughter reach a new understanding-and forge an unexpected path forward.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Highbridge Company
• Release date: Jan 3, 2023
• ISBN: 9781696610513

Reviews for In the Time of Our History

[Astrid Kwapinski · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely loved this book. Beautifully written, the characters have depth. This is a thought provoking story of mothers, sisters, families, of immigrants, of love and loss, of cultural and intergenerational differences, of the old country, of America. Highly recommend it.

[Jason Bender · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful story and beautifully narrated. First ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️of the year. Highly recommend!

[Laurence Barasch · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I learned a bit about Iranian culture and customs . However, I become easily bored with the parts of the book that discuss the political history of Iran . I enjoy reading about the families and their relationships. The book is well written and beautifully narrated.

[Betty Bennett · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Tender story of a family who struggle to adapt their lives to a culture that has different values than the culture they immigrated from. Written in a way that allows the reader to see that our bias against Islamic cultural practices are based on our world view. What we see as important individual freedoms are seen as threats to the security and abiding in a strong family unit with important community ties.

[Taiwo Yetunde Williams · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A beautiful narrative, peeling of the layers of family drama, trauma, grief, and loss. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I learned a lot about Iranian culture, and how religion and culture intersects gender politics

A recommended read!