The House of the Mosque

 

With gentle beginnings, this novel resembles a folk tale. It gradually introduces the members of an extended family who have lived in the titular house for centuries; initially, their problems are ordinary, and though they wrestle with matters of the heart, they live in relatively peaceful times. But as the Shah flees Iran and Ayatollah Khomeini assumes power, the family, like so many others, is divided by politics. All of a sudden the story becomes chilling, Abdolah’s simple yet poetic language capturing the fear and hopelessness of the era just as vividly as it captures Persian culture and the country’s natural beauty. Universal themes – loss of religious faith, the position of women in society, sex outside marriage – take on heightened meaning against a nationwide backdrop of executions and torture, and Abdolah does well in explaining the course of events to outsiders. Written under a composite pseudonym in tribute to two friends who were killed under the current regime, the novel undoubtedly draws on Abdolah’s own experiences as a member of the resistance before he left Iran as a refugee. Compelling and moving, the book delivers, in spite of all the tragedy, a sense of hope. [Nine]