Title: We
Heard the Heavens Then
Author: Aria Minu-Sepehr
Review: Heartbreaking, simply heartbreaking. Reading
this book you get a sense of how close Iran was to being a fully modern,
westernized nation. How they would have
been a leader for the region, and the world as a whole. Unfortunately they made
the mistake of all societies when they undergo such rapid growth and
prosperity; they separate into the haves and the have nots. Which wouldn’t be so bad if they provided a a
real identifiable path for the nots to share in the wealth and opportunity of
the society.
Aria Minu-Sepehr
details the life of someone who was an heir to all Iran had to offer; being
well educated and destined for great things.
As part of that life he shows the world of those who do not have the
same opportunities readily available, those who are there to serve the ruling
class. For the most part they were
treated well, there was never a sense that they could improve their situations
and be more than they were. In fact most
of their life is spent in fear of the ones in power, to be dismissed at the
whim of the master.
This hopelessness is
what opens the door for revolution. If
we cannot have the power than neither can you.
Then through the destruction of all that has been built, the resulting
society is highly regulated and controlled, without opportunity at all for
personal improvement. But that is okay,
because nobody else can have it any better either. Basically you end up with modern Iran, a
country stuck in the past which expends most of its time controlling its
citizens. From their behaviors to their
thoughts, a country without freedom, ruled with a gun.
This book is a
fascinating story of family and politics, a story of what is possible and how
fast it can all go away if not nurtured constantly. It is also a great look at Iran as a culture,
a look beyond all the bluster and hate filled propaganda they spew out
today. This book humanizes the people we
do not see on the nightly news, the mother and fathers trying to do the best by
their families while living in an impossible situation. Iranians are real people, many of who would
prefer a different engagement with the world too.
Publisher: Expected
publication: April 10th 2012 by Free Press
ISBN: 9781451652185
Copyright: 2012
Pages: 256
Quick Review: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I Read It:
Sent by the publisher for review.
Synopsis: ARIA MINU-SEPEHR was raised in a
sheltered world of extraordinary privilege as the son of a major general in the
Shah’s Imperial Iranian Air Force. It seemed his father could do anything—lead
the Golden Crowns in death-defying aerobatic maneuvers; command an air force
unit using top American technology; commission a lake to be built on a desert
military base, for waterskiing. When Aria was eight, “Baba” built him a dune
buggy so he could explore the desert; by ten, the boy handled the controls of a
Beechcraft Bonanza while his father napped in the copilot’s seat. Aria moved
easily between the two distinct worlds that existed under his family’s roof—a
division that mirrored the nation’s own deep and brooding divide. He was as
comfortable at the lavish cocktail parties his parents threw for Iran’s elite
as he was running amok in the kitchen where his beloved nanny grumbled about
the whiskey drinking, French ham, and miniskirts. The 1970s were the end result
of half a century of Westernization in Iran, and Aria’s father was the man of
the hour. But when the Shah was overthrown and the Ayatollah rose to power in
1979, Aria’s idyllic life skidded to a halt. Days spent practicing calligraphy
in his father’s embrace, lovingly torturing his nanny, and watching Sesame
Street after school were suddenly infused with fears that the militia would
invade his home, that he himself could be kidnapped, or that he would have to
fire a gun to save Baba’s life. As the surreal began to invade the mundane,
with family friends disappearing every day and resources growing scarce, Aria
found himself torn between being the man of the house and being a much needed
source of comic relief. His antics shone a bright light for his family, showing
them how to escape, if only momentarily, the grief and horror that a vengeful
revolution brought into their lives. We Heard the Heavens Then is a deeply
moving story told from two vantage points: a boy growing up faster than any
child should, observing and recoiling in the moment, and the adult who is
dedicated to a measured assessment of the events that shaped him. In this
tightly focused memoir, Aria Minu- Sepehr takes us back through his explosive
youth, into the heart of the revolution when a boy’s hero, held up as the
nation’s pride, became a hunted man.
Author Biography: Aria Minu-Sepehr moved with his family
to the United States following the fall of the shah of Iran in 1979. Aria’s
memoir of his childhood experience in Revolutionary Iran is a personal
narrative indebted to historical scholarship and powerful literature. The
author draws from his experience as adjunct professor of English, as founder of
Forum for Middle East Awareness, and as a public lecturer in fields related to
Iran and the Middle East to fashion a universally human tale in one of the most
pertinent and explosive settings of our age. He lives in Oregon with his wife
and two daughters.
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