The Luminous Heart of Jonah S.
Sep 2014 · Akashic Books
Ebook
418
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About this ebook
“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
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
About the author
Gina B. Nahai is a best-selling author, columnist, and full-time lecturer at USC's Master of Professional Writing Program. Her novels have been translated into eighteen languages, and have been selected as "Best Books of the Year" by the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune. She has also been a finalist for the Orange Prize, the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, and the Harold U. Ribalow Prize, and has won the Los Angeles Arts Council Award, the Persian Heritage Foundation’s Award, the Simon Rockower Award, and the Phi Kappa Phi Award. Her writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles magazine, Publishers Weekly, and the Huffington Post, among others. She writes a monthly column for the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, and is a three-time finalist for an LA Press Club Award. Nahai holds a BA and a Masters degree in International Relations from UCLA, and a Master of Professional Writing from USC. She's a former consultant for the Rand Corporation, and a frequent lecturer on the politics of pre- and postrevolutionary Iran. The Luminous Heart of Jonah S. is her latest novel.
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