Disoriental

By: Négar Djavadi, Tina Kover - translator

Narrated by: Siiri Scott

Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

National Book Award finalist: "A multigenerational epic of the Sadr family's life in Iran and their eventual exile.... Full of surprises" (The Globe and Mail)

Winner of the 2019 Albertine Prize and Lambda Literary Award

Kimiâ Sadr fled Iran at the age of 10 in the company of her mother and sisters to join her father in France. Now 25 and facing the future she has built for herself, as well as the prospect of a new generation, Kimiâ is inundated by her own memories and the stories of her ancestors, which come to her in unstoppable, uncontainable waves. In the waiting room of a Parisian fertility clinic, generations of flamboyant Sadrs return to her, including her formidable great-grandfather Montazemolmolk, with his harem of 52 wives, and her parents, Darius and Sara, stalwart opponents of each regime that befalls them. It is Kimiâ herself - punk-rock aficionado, storyteller extraordinaire, a Scheherazade of our time, and above all a modern woman divided between family traditions and her own "disorientalization" - who forms the heart of this best-selling and beloved novel, recipient of numerous literary honors.

©2016 Editions Liana Levi. Translation Copyright 2018 by Europa Editions, Inc (P)2020 Tantor

Maybe I should have read it in print

I start with positive points about the book.
The narrative is very visual and tactile. The author did a great job in that regard. The main character forms midway and is quiet attractive. The exile experience is sincere and accurate. The story line is in flashback form and the writer has executed it successfully. However, the book has some serious flaws. What took away from the experience was the horrible Farsi pronunciation of the Farsi words. In the beginning, every time the reader pronounced Montazemolmolk I cringed. This continued with names of characters, streets, food and every Farsi name.
Historical inaccuracy or misinformation should not exist in a book dedicated to telling a “true” story. Leaving the left completely out of Iranian Revolution is wrong. Almost all the intellectuals had left tendencies. As an Iranian, I found her tone “privileged “ and disconnected with most Iranians who lived through revolution.
She detailed the wave of assassinations of dissidents ordered by the regime and the role of western governments quiet accurately.
I know the author is a script writer and hope she continues with her craft. She is a talented writer. The second half of the book is far superior to the first half and I encourage readers to finish the book.

probably better in print

Hops between too many timelines to work for audio. be prepared for heavy historical fiction

It’s five stars from me

This novel combined all my favourite genres (family drama, historical fiction, immigrant novel) in one heart wrenching, beautifully woven narrative. Loved every minute listening to this!

Touched my heart in so many ways

I listened to the audiobook, so many times I wanted to stop and start something different, but I’m glad that I continued listening. Complex relationships, and devotion to family and homeland.