The Rose Hotel: A Memoir of Secrets, Loss, and Love from Iran to America
This brave, beautifully written memoir, originally published as a novel in order to safeguard identities, is the story of a wealthy, young Iranian girl whose family is traumatized by events surrounding Iran’s 1979 revolution, and the subsequent fallout that caused the family decades of suffering. Andalibian’s family owned an upscale hotel near a revered pilgrimage site; her strictly religious father, Baba, forbade alcohol, unrelated couples, and music in the hotel. As the revolution loomed, a rape and a murder occurred, resulting in false accusations and the devastating arrest of Andalibian’s eldest brother, Abdollah. Kangaroo-court justice prevailed amid chaos and violence, leading to Abdollah’s imprisonment and the rest of the family’s eventual move to California. Tremendous hardship followed in America: Andalibian’s mother, Maman, became severely depressed; her loving but authoritarian father had crushing financial losses; and her brothers indulged in reckless teen rebellion, followed by substance abuse, addiction, and numerous failed marriages. Touching on family, faith, assimilation, grief, and closure, Andalibian writes movingly about using her training as a clinical psychologist to heal herself and her family, homing in on secrets carried from Iran as the root of her family’s complex trauma. She sharply addresses topics relating to religious and political repression, profiling, and childhood trauma, while skillfully crafting an insightful, passionate immigrant’s story with cross-cultural resonance. (May)
Rahimeh Andalibian, Author
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A section of the memories of a freed Iranian prisoner; Mohsen Bakhshi
Programs of New Year HolidaysWithout blooming, without flowers, without greenery and without a table for Haft-sin , another spring has been arrived. Spring came to the camp without bringing freshness and the first days of New Year began in this camp. We were unaware of the plans that old friends had in this camp when Eid (New Year) came.