THE NIGHTS ARE QUIET IN TEHRAN by Shida Bazyar

Over the years Melanie has shared many exiting book tips with our reading group and this one is no exception. It is great to have her back as a host for yet another event. Here is her invitation, folks:

“The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran” by German author Shida Bazyar (whose parents fled Iran before she was born) is the English translation of her award-winning debut novel, Nachts ist es leise in Teheran, first published in 2016.
The novel received multiple literary awards in Germany, while its English translation, published in 2025, was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2026.
Spanning four decades, the story follows four members of an Iranian family, beginning with the 1979 Revolution in Tehran and continuing through their lives in exile in Germany. It vividly portrays their struggle between longing for a lost homeland and the difficult process of creating a new life abroad.
As the International Booker Prize website describes it: “The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran is a moving novel about revolution, oppression, resistance, and the absolute desire for freedom.”
Let’s discuss this powerful and timely novel together.