A Bitter Veil

By: Libby Fischer Hellmann

Narrated by: Diane Piron-Gelman

Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

It all began with a line of Persian poetry . . . Anna and Nouri, both studying in Chicago, fall in love despite their very different backgrounds. Anna, who has never been close to her parents, is more than happy to return with Nouri to his native Iran, to be embraced by his wealthy family. Beginning their married life together in 1978, their world is abruptly turned upside down by the overthrow of the Shah, and the rise of the Islamic Republic.

Under the Ayatollah Khomeini and the Republican Guard, life becomes increasingly restricted and Anna must learn to exist in a transformed world, where none of the familiar Western rules apply. Random arrests and torture become the norm, women are required to wear hijab, and Anna discovers that she is no longer free to leave the country. As events reach a fevered pitch, Anna realizes that nothing is as she thought, and no one can be trusted? Not even her husband.

©2012 Libby Fischer Hellmann (P)2012 Libby Fischer Hellmann

Critic reviews

"The Iranian revolution provides the backdrop for this meticulously researched, fast-paced stand-alone ...A significant departure from the author's Chicago-based Ellie Foreman and Georgia Davis mystery series, this political thriller will please established fans and newcomers alike." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Hellmann crafts a tragically beautiful story... both subtle and vibrant... never sacrificing the quality of her storytelling. Instead, the message drives the psychological and emotional conflict painting a bleak and heart wrenching tale that will stick with the reader long after they finish the book." (Bryan VanMeter, Crimespree Magazine)

“This story is simultaneously enthralling, scarily real, and deeply thought-provoking. I couldn’t put it down.” (Gather.com)

What a Fascinating Story!

Could not stop listening. Beautifully written, a very strong main character, and told within the backdrop of the Iranian Revolution. Listening brought forth so many emotions in me--love, sadness, fear, and strength of the human spirit--to name just a few. The characters are well-developed, the narration fabulous, and the history of the Revolution very well researched. When I hear of Iran, I will always think of this tale because if the right circumstances lined up this upheaval could occur in any country (as similar situations have in recent history). Bottom line is--I LOVE THIS STORY!

Omg this book is fantastic

I honestly didn't want to stop listening. It almost brought me to tears at one point! Also learned a LOT about the Iranian Revolution that toppled the Shah. Hopefully audible has other books by this author!

Couldn't stop listening.

What made the experience of listening to A Bitter Veil the most enjoyable?

The reader brought the characters to life with her persian accent. The history entertwinned made the story most interesting. I love stories about women who survive against unfortuate circumstances.

What did you like best about this story?

The history, a strong, intelligent main character and her will to survive.

What about Diane Pirone Gelman’s performance did you like?

Loved her persian accent, it brought the story to life.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Of course, but that was not possible.

Libby Fischer Hellman has done it again!

Audio Book Review:

I actually ended up listening to this all in one straight shot, as every time I went to put it down there was an event unfolding that needed me to know its resolution. This is one of those stories that while it deals with the near-past, the events and understanding brought forward in the book will provide readers / listeners with a better grasp on the complexities of current world situations.

Anna is an interesting character, one that I found rather needy and more than slightly naïve, which worked to her detriment for a large part of the story. Nouri is also a well-defined character, who is practicing the often-common phenomenon of Americanizing his behaviour and attitudes while you are away from parental control and societal constraints while you are a student abroad. Early on in the story, we see flashes of Nouri’s ingrained attitude toward a woman’s place, although Anna misses every signal, more enamored of the idea of love and belonging than actually creating a solid relationship.

As the story progresses and Anna attempts to adapt to her position as a wife of a Muslim man living in Tehran, their relationship is slowly fraying because she is starting to see the reality of the relationship and looking to question, when Nouri will entertain none of her questions and often is abusive and controlling of her every move.

All the while, the country is in turmoil and the various factions are struggling for control. Nothing and nowhere is truly safe, settled or even secure. It becomes a gripping tale of multiple fractures in the foundations of relationships, families and countries.

Impeccably researched, with a clever inset of a crime with a highly improbable (from the outside) suspect, dramatics from family and events, a solid inclusion of Farsi and other Islamic traditions this book is laden with information as it leads you through the plot. Diane Pirone Gelman is a marvelous narrator, with pitch, tone and clarity of the tongue twisting words in Farsi all serve to immerse the listener into the story.

Libby Fischer Hellman has done it again: provided a story that is no holds barred, researched it thoroughly and provided a plot that keeps you engaged and interested in what happens next. This is the perfect listen for your commute or a long journey: 9 hours flew by from start to end.

I received an AudioBook version from the author for purpose of honest review for the Heard Word at I am, Indeed. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Anna is set up for her husband's murder in Iran.

Anna and Nouri, both college students studying in Chicago, fall in love despite their very different backgrounds.Anna grew up in strange circumstances. Her father was a scientist from Nazi Germany repatriated to the U.S. after the war because the government wanted his scientific knowledge. Her mother, a citizen from India, divorced her father after she learned of his war activities and moved to Paris, leaving Anna with her father in the U.S. Due to this background, where she never felt loved as a child, Anna is more than happy to return with Nouri to his native Iran, to be embraced by his wealthy family, with his father being a known supporter of the Shah of Iran. . Beginning their
married life together in 1978, their world is abruptly turned upside down by the overthrow of the Shah, and the rise of the Islamic Republic.Under the
Ayatollah Khomeini and the Republican Guard, life becomes increasingly restricted and Anna must learn to exist in a transformed world, where none of the
familiar Western rules apply. Random arrests and torture become the norm, women are required to wear hijab, and Anna discovers that she is no longer free
to leave the country. As events reach a fevered pitch, Anna realizes that nothing is as she thought, and no one can be trusted? Not even her husband. Then things get even worse when her husband is murdered, Anna is framed for the murder and thrown into the worst prison in Iran. This is an excellent book with Hellman’s expert touch of putting you right in the middle of political events, never letting the tension ease until the very end. This will be one of my best books of the year.

Well-written read

A Bitter Veil, my fourteenth read/ listen from author Libby Fischer Hellman. I was given a book by the author and after having read it I decided to read more by this author & then another & another &... I'm glad I did. I'm a character reader, I get into the characters, their story, who/what they are, and significant characters in her writing are developed quickly & thoroughly along the way. Outstanding read! What other blurbs can I use to describe these books? This book is in all senses of the word, a thriller, from beginning to end. That’s it, no more spoilers from me. Oh well, buy the book, read the books, get into a good author and some good characters as I have. Diane Piron Gelman’s talented narration adds to the enjoyment of the book. I was given an Audible copy of this book & I’m voluntarily reviewing it. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

Fascinating

A Fascinating look at a time of turmoil in Iran with the fall of the Shah & the rise of the Ayatollah. This book felt very well researched and wasn’t a slam on an entire country or religion. We meet a young couple in love in America, Nouri and Anna they are young and in love Nouri is Iranian but this makes no difference to Anna in fact she is looking forward to the day they make their home in Iran. However Iran is in the beginning stages of upheaval and when the Shah falls everything in Nouri & Anna’s life changes too and definitely not for the better.

I found this story fascinating in how fast people’s allegiances and loyalty and personalities changed with the revolution and how many different reasons for the changes. Anne married a sweet man in Nouri who was involved in human rights activism while he was studying in the US and even after they had gotten to Iran he seemed to still hold the same beliefs until after the fall of the Shah and Nouri is arrested he comes back a very different man and Anna’s whole life changes.

I don’t want to give too much away about what happens between Nouri and Anna but let’s say he becomes a different man than she married. The unrest in Iran is fascinating the way the people flip-flopped on what It was they wanted from their country it makes me wonder how different the middle east and Iran in particular would be now if the ones that wanted to embrace the modern and give the rights to everyone had won this particular battle.

The narration by Diane Pirone Gelman was very well done her accents weren’t over done and as far as I could tell she did a good job at speaking Farsi and French when called for. I was impressed with her narration as a whole and would listen to her again.

In the author’s afterword she talks about interviewing many Iranian Americans for this story and I felt like this rang true to what I know of this time period. One thing the author said in the afterword is she is a crime writer and needed a crime but I kind of felt like the crimes were on the people of Iran although the crime did add the ending and fit well in the story.

If you are at all interesting in this time period or setting or just a fan of historical fiction I would highly recommend this book.

4 Stars

I received this book from the author & the Audiobookjukebox for a fair and honest review

Mesmerizing and Compelling--Highly Recommended

Having read most of this author's books, A BITTER VEIL is to date Libby Fischer Hellmann's masterpiece. It is artistically and creatively her very best. A story with a romance between an American woman and an Iranian man despite their cultural and religious differences, this story accurately portrays the Iran of during the revolution, throws in a little mystery although this is not the bulk of the plot. The mystery comes about rather because of the people and as a result of the events within the story.. The characters are well fleshed out and defined. My only issue was that one character in specific appeared to change drastically overnight rather than a slow metamorphosis which is more realistic. The plot is compelling and historically accurate with both sides of the revolution that disposed the Shah presented.. The narration by Diane Piron-Gelman was superb. She seamless went from American accents into those of the Iranians. Originally this audio book was to be my twenty minute a day late night walking the dog book, however I was so mesmerized by the plot that I listened to well into the night.

Plot and Writing 5 out of 5
Character Development 4.75 out of 5
Pacing 5 out of 5
Narration 5 out of 5
_____________________________
BOOK AVERAGE 4.93

History, Still Relevant

Where does A Bitter Veil rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Suspenseful thriller.

What did you like best about this story?

I was in graduate school, between jobs in the Middle East, during the Iranian Revolution, and teaching in Kuwait in the early days Khomeini's reign. I knew many Iranian students and saw first hand the devastating effects of life under both the Shah and the new regime. Hellman's book brought much of that era rushing back, and she certainly did her homework. Still, stories set in "enemy territory" can be problematic. Even when characters are varied and complex, it's very easy to reinforce stereotypes. People tend to embrace whatever supports their beliefs and miss those elements that challenge their beliefs. Hellman does a fair job of showing Nuri's descent into the madness of post-torture life under an oppressive regime, and of showing "good" and "bad" Iranians. I was nevertheless disappointed to see the portrayal of Nuri reinforce so many of the common notions about Middle Eastern/Muslim husbands -- he becomes emotional and sexually abusive; a holds his wife captive and cuts her off from her family and friends; he hides things from her; he cuts her out of his life. A bit too predictable, and unnecessary for a good story. A good read, but with cautions in place.

Any additional comments?

I found the last-minute introduction of a Kurdistani Jew as hero a bit gratuitous. Why not a Sunni Kurd, or even a Shi'ite Persian? Yes, there are Kurdistani Jews, but they don't figure into the rest of the story, so I have to wonder why the last-minute introduction was necessary. There is a suggestion of backstory with Anna's father, but that point is never developed. Perhaps a good question for an author interview.

Impending Doom

For anyone with an interest in recent international history, Ms Hellmann has provided a stellar fictional perspective with "A Bitter Veil." Perhaps because I never liked history classes very much, I think that historical fiction offers most of us the best way to learn about what happened in the past: through the eyes of (albeit, fictional, but believable) people living through it. In this case, we're talking about a horrific historical event: the 1978 Iranian revolution. Even without the opening chapter -- which starts us off in the middle of the horror -- we can feel the impending doom gathering and hovering, about to engulf our protagonist, Anna, in its darkness. I kept wanting to scream at Anna, "You fool! Can't you see what is going to happen to you?" Of course, few of us could see what was coming back then, could we? I, in my youthful innocence and self-absorption, had only a vague awareness -- and no interest -- in the events taking place on the other side of the planet. Now I can declare that everything that I know about the Iranian revolution I learned from Libby Fischer Hellmann. When I hear about those terrifying events, it occurs to me how uniquely "gentle" our American revolution must appear in the history of world revolutions. As far as I know, we did not have wild-eyed, fundamentalist vigilantes running around murdering fellow citizens for not believing the way they did. (Of course, we then made up for it less than a century later with our Civil War, didn't we?) Compare our American revolution with the bloody French revolution, where people felt justified in murdering their own monarchs and nobility. Ms Hellmann, in her Afterword, mentions the cruelty and bloodthirstiness of the French, Cuban, Russian, and Chinese revolutions, pointing out how we humans keep making the same mistakes. We keep thinking that we finally have the right paradigm, and employ violence to force it upon our neighbors. Even though I don't like studying history, I have to admit that we all need to have our noses rubbed in it, so that we can, hopefully, learn from our past folly. Audiobooks like "The Bitter Veil" may provide the most effective -- and, arguably the least painful -- way to do that. If you have the courage, purchase "The Bitter Veil," and brace yourself.