Synopsis
An Iranian family struggles for redemption amid the twentieth-century conflicts between a medieval religion and a modernizing population, between emerging nationalism and foreign repression. An epic saga with iconic characters, cultural insights, and evocative historical details, The House That War Minister Built covers the Iranian experience from the end of the Qajar dynasty in the 1920s, into the post 9/11 era. The novel fulfills a widespread desire for high-quality epic fiction about Iran and Shiite Moslem culture in terms accessible to the West. At times tragic, at times humorous, The House That War Minister Built will appeal to readers with a thirst for novel cultural experiences and readers who want to learn while they enjoy..
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About the Author
Andrew Imbrie Dayton received his undergraduate degree from Princeton, and advanced doctoral degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, where he met and married Elahe. He subsequently did postdoctoral studies at Harvard and now lives in the Washington, DC area. He has previously published short fiction in the Potomac Review and is a contributing editor for the Washington Independent Review of Books. Elahe Talieh Dayton was born, raised, and educated in Iran, eventually earning a doctorate from the University of Tehran. Subsequently she immigrated to the United States to study at the University of Pennsylvania, where she met and married Andy and earned another doctoral degree, followed by postdoctoral work at Harvard.
From the Back Cover
... a loving, true-to-life portrait of a nation... a deliciously complex patchwork quilt... a gorgeous, decades-spanning family drama...The Daytons'... prose is lush and surprisingly dexterous - they're as comfortable rendering the design details of a mansion anteroom as they are describing the political intrigue of a military coup and they do comedy as well as they do espionage... If you can't afford a plane ticket to Tehran, visit the Daytons' House.
--Kirkus Reviews
The Daytons have done for Iran what Garcia Marquez did for Colombia in One Hundred Years of Solitude... With equal parts humor, pathos, and tragedy, The House That War Minister Built is an exciting and moving experience that leaves the reader with a fresh understanding of a land caught in the unrelenting grip of convulsive change.
--David O. Stewart, author of The Summer of 1787, Impeached, and American Emporer: Aaron Burr's Challenge to Jefferson's America
In this richly textured novel set against the religious and political turmoil of Iran, two generations of Persian women struggle towards understanding. A powerful story, with great insight into their hearts and culture.
--Barbara Esstman, author of The Other Anna and Night Ride Home
The story is rich with lively characters and suspense, woven with vivid and authentic detail. Here is an absorbing tale of passion and sorrow that recreates places and scenes long gone, but beautifully portrayed.
--Ann McLaughlin, author of Maiden Voyage, Lightning in July, The Balancing Pole, Sunset at Rosalie, Leaving Bayberry House and A Trial in Summer.
From the Inside Flap
In the crumbling days of the Qajar dynasty, Nargess's fate seems sealed as the upstart Reza Khan Shah sends his army to surround her husband's palace. She does not know that the greatest threat lies within! For the next three quarters of a century, Nargess and her family will endure the conflicts between a medieval religion and a modernizing population, between emerging nationalism and foreign manipulation. Contending with betrayal, arrogance and moral dissolution, they search for redemption, which only one of them will find - on a deathbed in a strange land.
An epic saga with iconic characters, abundant cultural insights and surprising historical details, The House That War Minister Built covers the Iranian experience from the end of the Qajar dynasty in the 1920s, into the post 9/11 era.
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The House That War Minister Built
Published by
Octavio Books, Washington, DC, 2011
ISBN 10: 0983095809
ISBN 13: 9780983095804
Used
Hardcover
Signed
Seller: Ground Zero Books, Ltd., Silver Spring, MD, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: as is, fair. 292 pages. Glossary, water stains to boards & DJ, rear DJ flap stuck to rear board, water stains & waviness to text (no pages stuck) Inscribed and signed by both co-authors. This novel covers the Iranian experience from the end of the Qajar dynasty in the 1920's into the post 9/11 era. Seller Inventory # 53804