Winner of the 2019 Albertine Prize and Lambda Literary Award • Finalist for the National Book Award
Kimiâ Sadr fled Iran at the age of ten, escaping political turmoil with her mother and sisters to join her father in France. Now, at twenty-five, sitting in a Parisian fertility clinic, Kimiâ is flooded by unstoppable waves of memory and family history. Her story unfolds alongside those of her flamboyant ancestors—her great-grandfather Montazemolmolk, with his fifty-two wives, and her revolutionary parents, Darius and Sara, who resisted every oppressive regime.
Punk-rock aficionado, storyteller, and modern woman, Kimiâ navigates the complexities of exile, identity, and sexuality. Disoriental is a multigenerational epic, blending Iran’s tumultuous history with an intimate portrait of self-discovery and belonging.
“A tour de force of storytelling.” —Library Journal
“Riveting… Djavadi is an immensely gifted storyteller.” —Booklist
