Description:
From the international bestselling author of The Book of Fate comes the story, based on real events, of a four-year-old boy who cannot speak and the shame it brings upon his family in modern-day Iran.
Four-year-old Shahaab has not started talking. The family doctor believes there is no cause for concern; nevertheless, Shahaab is ridiculed by others who call him "dumb." In his innocent and deeply hurt child's mind, he begins to believe that the "good" and "intelligent" children like his older brother are their fathers' sons. On the other hand, children like him who are "clumsy" and "problematic" are their mothers' sons.
No one in the family can understand Shahaab except his maternal grandmother, who seems to possess the understanding and the kindness he so desperately craves. Their growing bond leads to a deep friendship in which Shahaab is able to experience some happiness and finally find his voice.
Brief description:
Vaneh Assadourian is an actress, audiobook narrator, and voice actor who received her bachelor's degree from the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television. Based in Los Angeles, California, she has lent her voice to different genres of books including autobiographies, romance, and juvenile fiction.
Review Quotes:
"Gripping...An agonizing childhood in the Iran of the ayatollahs, with its revolutionary committees and moral police always lurking."
-- "Stavanger Aftenblad (Norway)"