Escape From Paradise – the long-awaited novel about the 1979 Iranian Revolution – is heartfelt, powerful, and compulsively readable. The lives of a group of Iranians and a young American woman with her two children are seriously threatened in the devastating aftermath of the bloody Iran revolution of 1979. Combined, their lives make a tapestry that reflects the entire colorful canvas of society's different political persuasions and social classes. For reasons of their own, each is blacklisted and cannot leave the country through the normal means. Unbeknownst to each other, they individually employ the services of an underground smuggling ring, run by a profiteer of the revolution, to guide them across the Iran-Turkish border. Each person has a different fascinating story, a distinct and astonishing reason for embarking upon such a dangerous journey, a journey that encompasses their pats – bygone days that led them to the shocking reality of the present. It is during these flashbacks that their unforgettable stories masterfully unfold and the process of reevaluating their pasts is lyrically narrated. Told with compassion, this is the story of a group of people who, under the most adverse of circumstances, are forced to resort to their common humanity in order to discover the truth that they hope will ultimately set them free. This novel presents the reader with an unparalleled opportunity to experience not only the self-defeating, heartbreaking political struggles of Iranians during the last century, but also their resiliency. More importantly, it captures the soul of Iran – its enchanting culture and wonderful, colorful and hospitable citizens. Majid Amini is a skillful storyteller, a writer who portrays the anguished truth of the human heart and the triumph of the human spirit during the brutality of the bloody revolution in the richly lyrical prose and unforgettable narratives.
