This was a beautiful story, pre-Iranian revolution, of Pasha and his friends, who gathered in the evening on his neighborhood's rooftops. Pasha is in love with the elusive Zari, who is engaged to be married to "Doctor," a socialist intellectual who Pasha greatly admires.
Pasha is bosom friends with Ahmed...in fact, this brotherly friendship is my favorite part of the book. It also sheds light on the terror wrought by SAVAK, the shah's secret police. But the bottom line is this book is not about Iran's politics, even though it serves as a chilling background. This book is about coming of age, with deep bonds of friendship and the blossoming of a forbidden romance. It's also deeply sad and lovely, if you can stand the sadness.
