Ambitious . . . It seems remarkable that these writers have escaped the wrath of the authorities, given their candor. A diverse sampling of contemporary Iranian letters, and a welcome tool for anyone seeking to understand a complex culture that has long been explained away as The Enemy.

 Strange Times, My Dear should be required reading for all Americans.

Exile, uncertainty, the pain of the Iran-Iraq War, religious oppression, censorship—these are some of the subjects explored, in a dazzling array of styles, from realism to magical realism, along with traditional themes of love and loss, which take on new coloration in what for American readers is largely unknown terrain. Strange Times, My Dear provides imaginative insight into what it means to be an Iranian in the midst of dramatic change.

An all-too-brief look at the literature and culture of a country whose cultural contributions have been forgotten and ignored.

Rich . . . Strange Times, My Dear covers a wide range of topics, from the geopolitical concerns of the Iran-Iraq war and the Islamic revolution to complex personal dramas of everyday life, while lifting the proverbial chador on the latest trends in Iranian letters.

An intimate look at the many sides of Iran . . . A fine sampler . . . Iranian literature has been quietly flourishing . . . a rich collection.

An engaging but also disturbing picture of dangerous times in Iran. . . . Strange Times, My Dear tackles controversial issues, ranging from religious freedom to misogyny to revolution to the oil trade. . . . As compelling as their stories, the writers are an eclectic mix: a good balance of male and female, including various scholars, a former judge, a filmmaker, political activists, and artists. . . . Literature from this region of the world is hard to come by, and this collection of prose and poetry is both timely and well written.

Strange Times, My Dear is the most important book to be published this year in the United States. . . . This book represents a major win. . . . On a civic level, it heroically assists to demystify a people seldom viewed in the United States outside the lens of geopolitics.

A bird’s-eye view of a complex culture that’s largely off-limits to the Western world. Reflecting a multiplicity of cultures, languages, ethnicities, religions, and worldviews, the writings touch on themes of power and corruption, alienation and exile, feminism and marriage, among other topics.