The Heartbeat of Iran Real Voices of a Country and Its People by Tara Kangarlou
What Do you know about Iran?
I’m ashamed to say that the first time I ever heard of Iran was through a famous California song’s popular tune’s word change during the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1979 when I was ten years old, then through the first Persian Gulf War and a few years later during the Iran Contra Affair beginning in 1985 when I was a sophomore in high school, because of this news focused experiences my view of Iranians was a reaction of fear, not of similarity through humanity.
However, during the summer of ’86 before my Junior year of high school, I started wondering about the poor people of Iran (and to be honest the rest of the Middle East), who were enduring so much war and terror in their country. There was no way that all of them could be war mongering demons like the news made them out to be. They had to be LIKE ALL NATIONS: some horrible, horrible people and the rest kind, loving, and just trying to make an existence out of what is handed them by their laws, religions, and leaders. I mean, in a country where so much had happened to them there had to be people who were trying to make the country the best they could so that they could live in it and someday be a place that their children could raise their children in peace and through the prosperity of culture which enriches their lives. In other words Humanity at its best.
The Heartbeat of Iran is proof of what I knew in my heart was true—the beauty of humanity in Iran: the truths the people encounter, the gorgeous weaving of words to tell stories of their lives so that others can better understand what their country is; how it has made them who they are and what Iran is becoming through perseverance and hope.
Funny thing. I am one of those types of readers, and reviewers, that doesn’t read the introduction from an author until after I’ve read the book or collection of stories as is this book. I want to gather my own thoughts through the experiences with the writing and get from it what I can to help me, first of all, be entertained, but most of all to understand the characters, the setting, and the message of the book. I guess I haven’t dropped my inquisitive, critiquing ways that my English Professor liked to comment on so much (not always a good thing she said…)
Like all the other readings in my life, I didn’t read author Tara Kagarlou’s intro of The Heartbeat of Iran until right before I started writing this review.
I’m glad I waited. I am excited to say that what Ms. Kangarlou wanted the most from the reader is exactly what I received from this book! To that I say, thank you Ms. Kangarlou for gathering stories that would fulfill your hopes. I definitely grew more empathy through the lyrical stories in your collection. Kangarlou bluntly, and rightly, states in her introduction what I had questioned in my mind and the misconception I’ve written about presented to me as a child and teen of her homeland. I honestly wish I could just paste her whole intro this review and call it perfect, however, that would do more injustice by taking away her livelihood from this book's earnings by giving it to you free so, I’ll just pull out a truthfully blunt quote: “it’s utterly frustrating to see how often Iranians are portrayed through the caricatures of what the west thinks of them and allows them to be. The harrowing tales of the hostage crisis, the imprisonment of journalists and Bahais, the crackdown on political activists as well as a host of mainstream movies made about Iran like 300, Argo, and of course Not Without My Daughter, are often the only stories about the country that most westerners are familiar with. As important as these issues and films are, they don’t complete the narrative, and certainly don’t come close to capturing the whole truth. Like many other isolated and heavily marginalized nations, the real Iran remains a mystery to much of the international community.”
Many of the collected stories by the author, Tara Kangarlou are stories about women. It is joyful to me that even with what I construe (and hopefully its a misconception on this westerner’s understanding) to be a lack of women rights in Iran that these stories are free to be expressed and told without the subjects themselves being in danger of breaking any laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran. These women have told their fascination stories like race car driver Laleh Seddigh. To read the unfathomable story about 93-year-old Hooriyeh Zeinsli who slowly over time lost so many freedoms in 1936 at the age of ten it was not being able to go to school if she wore the Hijab which was not only her religion but her culture, then after 1979 and the Iranian Revolution lost the freedoms she held so dearly disappear is even more poignant to me. I can’t imagine knowing what freedom is then losing it without any choices. I feel for her and the world changes she has seen in her 93 years of living.
Besides the Iranian women, there are stories from other marginalized Iranian’s stories and I considered it a blessing that I was able to read these stories before the compilation was released. This book brought sadness and at the same time awe, happiness, and pride that humans are able to pull themselves out of trying, harsh environments and continue to fight on to better other’s lives that might not be able to do the same for themselves.
I’ve made it my goal throughout my life to read other country’s authors, other culture’s religious writings, and non-familiar lifestyles near, and especially far from where I live. This book and others like it published by IG Publishing (and another publishing house I read books from often- Restless Books) are companies that gather authors that help make the world smaller by showing each reader that all of humanity has the same goals of love, compassion, and aspirations of peace and hope even if we are different in dress, religions (or not), politics, and divided by waters and/or physical boundaries that separate us from each other. We all live on this great big revolving, colorful ball called Earth and we should get to know each other better even if we never meet each other face to face. Our souls are universal even if we are not globally one.
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