Iran: My Grandfather

This fascinating and beautifully written book Iran: My Grandfather by Ali Alizadeh tells the history of Iran from the perspective of the author's grandfather. The author has woven a poetic tale encompassing his grandfather's story told as a novel gleaned from information he has learned about him, interspersed with the country's factual history. Ali tells the tragic story of a nation which see-sawed between "westernism" and "Islamic fundamentalism" as well as the consequences of "outside" influences resulting in the country as it is today. The reader can wonder "what might have been" with the different changes along the way. Ali migrated to Australia with his family when he was about 14 in the 1990s. We will likely be reading more from this writer. 4/5