The Luminous Heart of Jonah S.
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
“An intriguing murder-mystery journey anchored within the Iranian-Jewish community of Los Angeles.” —Washington Independent Review of Books
Longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award
Finalist for the Jewish Book Council’s JJ Greenberg Memorial Award
The Soleymans, an Iranian Jewish family, have been tormented for decades, from Tehran all the way to Los Angeles, by a crafty and unscrupulous financier who has futilely claimed to be an heir to their fortune. Now, their nemesis has nearly achieved his goal—until he suddenly turns up dead behind the wheel of his Aston Martin.
The possible suspects are legion: his long-suffering wife, numerous members of the Soleyman clan, the scores of investors he bankrupted in a Ponzi scheme, or perhaps even his disgruntled bookkeeper and longtime confidant. This “fascinating” blend of murder mystery and generation-spanning family saga (BookPage) pulls back the curtain on a close-knit community, yet at the same time “feels more universal than anything . . . an engrossing, expansive epic that charts not only thousands [of] years of Iranian Jewish life, but the brutality of one family’s survival amidst revolution and cultural upheaval” (Kirkus Reviews).
“A brilliant, funny, poignant, and thrilling novel about an Iranian Jewish family’s struggle to find its identity in exile in America. Part murder mystery, part comic novel . . . a book you will not be able to put down.” —New York Times–bestselling author Reza Aslan
“With touches of magic realism, extraordinary characters, and a spiraling, multigenerational plot involving fraud, a murder mystery, epic suffering, heroic generosity, women’s struggle for freedom, and the clash between East and West, Nahai’s mythic, tragic, often beautiful immigrant family saga illuminates timeless questions of prejudice, trauma, inheritance, loyalty, and love.” —Booklist, starred review
“A riveting tale. . . . Readers will be well rewarded.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Like Cry of the Peacock and Moonlight on the Avenue of Faith, Nahai's new work is a multigenerational epic of Iranian Jews. It shifts from modern L.A. to old Tehran as it follows the wealthy, influential Soleyman family. Raphael's Son (as he is called throughout), a Soleyman bastard, in one or possibly both senses of the word, is found murdered in L.A. But is he really dead? His body has disappeared. Hated by rival family members and acquaintances alike, he could have been killed by anyone, from his long-suffering wife to any of the clients ruined by his Ponzi scheme. Nahai's retelling of Iran's recent history and her depiction of Iranian Jews both in their homeland and as exiles is eye-opening. Magical elements abound: the incandescent hearts of certain Soleyman males, the smell of the sea emitted by Elizabeth, Raphael's Son's aunt (whom he hoped to ruin), and the proclivity of dead Soleyman bodies to disappear. It's a riveting tale, requiring full concentration. Readers will be well rewarded.
