The Heartbeat of Iran: Real Voices of a Country and its People

by Tara Kangarlou

"Here are tender, lyrical, colorful stories of an Iran that Americans do not know and have no way of discovering directly. Tara Kangarou has created a work of people-to-people diplomacy, using her words to paint pictures of a very different country than the harsh, angry land depicted in the news. If only Iranians could read a similar account of the Heartbeat of the United States!"―Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO, New America

"With all of the talk about Iran, we hear far too little about the stories of the Iranian people themselves. The Heartbeat of Iran gives us the individual stories of Iranians - an illuminating and powerful portrait of a people who have been so often mischaracterized, and whose voices deserve to be heard."―Ben Rhodes, author of The World as It Is: A Memoir of the Obama White House

"In no other time in history has there been such need for building bridges and closing the divides. Tara Kangarlou's Heartbeat Of Iran takes us to a country that has long been isolated and enables us to see Iran through its heart and soul -- its people."―Margot Wallstr�m, Foreign Minister Of Sweden

"Tara Kangarlou's The Heartbeat Of Iran is an impressive, unique, and much needed addition to the compendium of literature on Iran. Using the personal stories of ordinary individuals, she brings to life the Iranian people--a people much misunderstood (and even maligned) in the west--and allows them their own voice in showing us what makes them who they are."―Hooman Majd, author of The Ayatollah Begs to Differ

In today's interconnected global village, Iran remains a mystery to much of the rest of the world--especially to those living in the United States and the west. While the country is often synonymous with rogue behavior on the world stage, there is also another, rarely seen side to this nation of 80 million, including being home to the greatest number of Jews in the Middle East outside of Israel, and having the largest transsexual population in the region, among other unexpected surprises.

The Heartbeat of Iran takes us on a journey into everyday life in Iran, where we meet the diverse people who make up the country's delicate socio-cultural, political, and religious mosaic. Through textured portraits of regular Iranians--from a blind Sunni environmental activist to the gay son of a general, from Iran's first female race car driver to a young rabbi who is training the future generation of Jewish rabbis in Israel's enemy state--The Heartbeat of Iran reveals a people whose dreams and fears mirror that of millions of others worldwide, and who yearn to join an international community that often views them through the blur of a hostile political fog.

Genres: Nonfiction, Iran

288 pages, Hardcover

Published April 28, 2020

Reviews

[Petra X]

I think this is more, "heartbeat of Teheran". There are problems with the book for me. The first two stories are of people who think that Iran is a very wonderful place, despite everything, to live. Both these people, an aged lady and a man, have lost all their children to America.

Then there is a story of a young rabbi who says he has never felt religious discrimination, that the Friday chants from the mosques of "Death to America. Death to Israel," are just political, that Jews are free to do as they please in Iran. The second rabbi interviewed is frightened to give his name - repercussions which could include imprisonment up to execution. Jews have been executed as Zionist spies as helping Israel. In other words, Iran makes no difference between the religion and the politics when it suits them.

That's typical of modern anti-Semitism world wide. And for those of you not Jewish, don't tell me that Jews cry anti-Semitism when it is Israel being criticised. We can tell perfectly well the difference between the two. Same as my black sons can tell perfectly the difference between the really not racist person and the 'I never see race' people as they move their bags to the shoulder furthest away from my very tall, muscly black son or step a little further away from them on the sidewalk.

It is a modern thing that the majority get to tell the minority who they are and how they should feel. Ask Black people who are defined and profiled by a the white majority, their own voice being either unheard or not even called upon. There is an exception to this - the screaming loud activists with their own agendas, who shout everyone down who doesn't agree with them, however, they also don't represent the majority of the groups they say they represent.

To be continued

[Brian Griffith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had doubts about this book. I thought the author was aiming low, at something like showing that most Iranians are good, decent people. But the collection of 24 personal stories ends up delivering much more of a punch than that. Each account is gripping in it’s own way, and Kangarlou gives a wide-spectrum view. She features an ex-opium addict, a Jewish rabbi, a female Olympic gold medalist, a gay man, an utterly impoverished widow with children, a mullah, an art gallery manager, a village teacher, a female race car driver, etc. Maybe my favorite was the village schoolteacher Amir Saneei, who teaches two grades at the same time on a pathetic salary. When talking with the kids about their hopes, he finds that most of the boys expect to be farmers or shepherds like their fathers. It’s the girls who want to be doctors or other professionals. He says, “Somehow the girls think differently. I think it’s because they are closer to their mothers, and their mothers often have a wider outlook than their men.”

[Evelina | AvalinahsBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

How I read this: Free ebook copy received through Edelweiss

In this book, the author of The Heartbeat of Iran, an Iranian immigrant who's a journalist, tries to show us the other side of the narrative about Iran. The book was prompted by how the West only ever hears one side of the story about Iran - but there's never just one side. The book is culturally incredibly rich - just as rich as Persian history. It was a true treat to read. And don't forget the amazing pictures!

The story of Iran is told through the stories of its people - some ordinary, some famous. The book is made up of essays, each of which concentrate on someone's life with its joys and sorrows, its beauty and pain. Some of the people are old, some young, so summing up all of their experiences gives quite a colorful picture. The book covers a lot of cultural and sociologic topics and it was incredibly interesting.

Because of such varied interviewees, some of the stories are inspiring and bright, while some are heart-breaking. Even aside from the big picture - the culture and the country's history - some of the stories come off as more personal than that, and you just can't help but feel for the people who spoke of their lives. Most of the people interviewed, no matter how hard their lives were, came off as hopeful, optimistic, strong. It prompted so much respect to hear their stories. They all had this incredible strength, integrity, and most importantly - a strong cultural identity to them. I feel like they were chosen so well for the interviews.

The placement of the stories was good too - it can go from telling you the story of a well-known cleric who has worked in a ministry to a young woman who has come from a deeply religious background, but decided to leave it for the sake of her own personal freedom, to a Jewish Rabbi who was born and raised in Iran, or a now grown up child bride. All of the speakers are so different - in age, background, even beliefs - it was really informative. What's more - it demonstrates the diversity of Iran very well - as Westerners, we often assume that minorities are not tolerated in places like Iran, but the author proves time and again that it's not true.

The most surprising of the stories were about the LGBTQ+ community, which were not missed in the discussion. Yes, Iran is not the place to be gay - as gay people have pretty much no legal rights there. However! One thing really surprised me - apparently, it IS the place to be trans (as much as it can be in such a conservative society.) As it turns out, the government supports trans people, and helps and encourages them to transition medically, as in the eyes of the clergy of Iran, gender dysphoria is considered a medical issue and has to be treated. I can't believe Iran has one-upped many Western countries in being so progressive with this, it blew my mind. The story of WHY this is the case is even more inspiring and impressive, but I won't ruin it for you - you just have to read the book for yourself!

And indeed, there are quite a few things that I didn't know about how Iran really was. Despite it not really being a liberal country, of course, it's not as strict as what we're used to see in the media - things change with the times. Women aren't policed anymore about being fully covered, and people have more freedom of opinion. Of course, things are not easy or perfect, and the author never tries to sugarcoat that either. But the fact is, we in the West are often basing our assumptions on stories that are a decade or two old, or the scant news that we receive from the media. It doesn't always portray the full picture.

What was the most interesting bit of info I learned from this book - that Zoroastrianism, the ancient religion of Persia, is still practiced in Iran. There is only a handful of people, a small community - but they are not persecuted. Their heritage is respected. It also made me more curious about Zoroastrianism and its peaceful beliefs.

Another thing that was incredibly cool to learn was how saffron is grown and picked - the village life surrounding this incredibly expensive spice, and the natural rhythm of picking it. Comparing it to our own native plant cultures where I live and how people work with them was very interesting.

There is a vibe that The Heartbeat of Iran had, and I really liked it. What a lot of the stories had in common was the "despite the odds" element. A composer and pianist who becomes a respected artist despite being told that you can't do that without formal education. An old lady who cherishes her own home and its history, it's memories - despite living alone, with all her children abroad. A man of religion who is tech-savvy and popular on social media, despite belonging to the clergy that is considered very traditional and behind the times. A woman who is tired and weatherworn, but despite her hard life, she is proud of raising her children and she would not turn back the time. All of these people and their histories I found very inspiring. It truly represented the color, the richness of human experience. And it wasn't just about Iran - it was really about the human spirit, and how different, and yet the same it is within all of us. These are all reasons why I would definitely recommend this book.

I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.

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[Koby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book written by one of my professors (ew). She assigned it to us to read for class (double ew). She is also the most outwardly narcissistic person I've ever encountered (triple ew). However, this book was actually really entertaining to read. It follows the stories of various Iranians from all walks of life and details their life experiences. I wish there were more books that utilized this format. She told us about how she had to fight and fire multiple editors to let her write the book this way and I have no idea why. In the age of zero attention spans, bite-sized individual stories collected into a book with fantastic overarching themes that don't get forced on you and don't treat the reader like an idiot is a genius idea. All of the stories have something to contribute to the greater idea of the book. I was genuinely surprised by how good this book was. Especially with all the current Iranian women's rights and antigovernment protests going on right now, it contextualized the people and shared experiences of Iran very well. Entertaining and insightful read.
7/10.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who knew less than she should have about Iran, this book was a great place to start covering the recent history and not getting too overwhelmed by the details and timelines of things. The stories were all very interesting and painted an overall picture of a country so different from mine. My one gripe is that I wish more of the stories were from "unremarkable" people - the majority of the stories here were from people who have accomplished a lot or found great success, leaving very few about your average Iranian who isn't well-known around the world or in their specific community.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a book of complied interviews, and The Heartbeat of Iran is an excellent example of this type of books. US and Iran citizen and journalist Tara Kangarlou interviews ordinary citizens of Iran, giving a much more nuanced view of the country than the US media and government would have you believe. In addition to sensitively presenting each person's story, Kangarlou also gives some historical and cultural context for those readers who, like myself, aren't familiar with Iranian society.

[Fereshteh Kangarlou · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been written beautifully. The combination of culture, politics and the history and impact of those on every individual's life story made it incredible to read. I very much enjoyed reading it.

[Harrison Bosque · Rating 2 out of 5]

What I hoped would be a book that taught me about Iranian history and culture ended up feeling like just a collection of anecdotes that, while sometimes interesting, grew to feel like a bit of a slog

[Sandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

What Do you know about Iran?
I’m ashamed to say that the first time I ever heard of Iran was through a famous California song’s popular tune’s word change during the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1979 when I was ten years old, then through the first Persian Gulf War and a few years later during the Iran Contra Affair beginning in 1985 when I was a sophomore in high school, because of this news focused experiences my view of Iranians was a reaction of fear, not of similarity through humanity.

However, during the summer of ’86 before my Junior year of high school, I started wondering about the poor people of Iran (and to be honest the rest of the Middle East), who were enduring so much war and terror in their country. There was no way that all of them could be war mongering demons like the news made them out to be. They had to be LIKE ALL NATIONS: some horrible, horrible people and the rest kind, loving, and just trying to make an existence out of what is handed them by their laws, religions, and leaders. I mean, in a country where so much had happened to them there had to be people who were trying to make the country the best they could so that they could live in it and someday be a place that their children could raise their children in peace and through the prosperity of culture which enriches their lives. In other words Humanity at its best.

The Heartbeat of Iran is proof of what I knew in my heart was true—the beauty of humanity in Iran: the truths the people encounter, the gorgeous weaving of words to tell stories of their lives so that others can better understand what their country is; how it has made them who they are and what Iran is becoming through perseverance and hope.

Funny thing. I am one of those types of readers, and reviewers, that doesn’t read the introduction from an author until after I’ve read the book or collection of stories as is this book. I want to gather my own thoughts through the experiences with the writing and get from it what I can to help me, first of all, be entertained, but most of all to understand the characters, the setting, and the message of the book. I guess I haven’t dropped my inquisitive, critiquing ways that my English Professor liked to comment on so much (not always a good thing she said…)

Like all the other readings in my life, I didn’t read author Tara Kagarlou’s intro of The Heartbeat of Iran until right before I started writing this review.


I’m glad I waited. I am excited to say that what Ms. Kangarlou wanted the most from the reader is exactly what I received from this book! To that I say, thank you Ms. Kangarlou for gathering stories that would fulfill your hopes. I definitely grew more empathy through the lyrical stories in your collection. Kangarlou bluntly, and rightly, states in her introduction what I had questioned in my mind and the misconception I’ve written about presented to me as a child and teen of her homeland. I honestly wish I could just paste her whole intro this review and call it perfect, however, that would do more injustice by taking away her livelihood from this book's earnings by giving it to you free so, I’ll just pull out a truthfully blunt quote: “it’s utterly frustrating to see how often Iranians are portrayed through the caricatures of what the west thinks of them and allows them to be. The harrowing tales of the hostage crisis, the imprisonment of journalists and Bahais, the crackdown on political activists as well as a host of mainstream movies made about Iran like 300, Argo, and of course Not Without My Daughter, are often the only stories about the country that most westerners are familiar with. As important as these issues and films are, they don’t complete the narrative, and certainly don’t come close to capturing the whole truth. Like many other isolated and heavily marginalized nations, the real Iran remains a mystery to much of the international community.”


Many of the collected stories by the author, Tara Kangarlou are stories about women. It is joyful to me that even with what I construe (and hopefully its a misconception on this westerner’s understanding) to be a lack of women rights in Iran that these stories are free to be expressed and told without the subjects themselves being in danger of breaking any laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran. These women have told their fascination stories like race car driver Laleh Seddigh. To read the unfathomable story about 93-year-old Hooriyeh Zeinsli who slowly over time lost so many freedoms in 1936 at the age of ten it was not being able to go to school if she wore the Hijab which was not only her religion but her culture, then after 1979 and the Iranian Revolution lost the freedoms she held so dearly disappear is even more poignant to me. I can’t imagine knowing what freedom is then losing it without any choices. I feel for her and the world changes she has seen in her 93 years of living.

Besides the Iranian women, there are stories from other marginalized Iranian’s stories and I considered it a blessing that I was able to read these stories before the compilation was released. This book brought sadness and at the same time awe, happiness, and pride that humans are able to pull themselves out of trying, harsh environments and continue to fight on to better other’s lives that might not be able to do the same for themselves.

I’ve made it my goal throughout my life to read other country’s authors, other culture’s religious writings, and non-familiar lifestyles near, and especially far from where I live. This book and others like it published by IG Publishing (and another publishing house I read books from often- Restless Books) are companies that gather authors that help make the world smaller by showing each reader that all of humanity has the same goals of love, compassion, and aspirations of peace and hope even if we are different in dress, religions (or not), politics, and divided by waters and/or physical boundaries that separate us from each other. We all live on this great big revolving, colorful ball called Earth and we should get to know each other better even if we never meet each other face to face. Our souls are universal even if we are not globally one.


Humanity at its realist.
Author's compilation well written.
Didn't feel like a Documentary. This is about the people in your neighborhood.


Thank you IG Publishing, and Tara Kangarlou for the opportunity to read this book in lieu of my honest review.

[Behrooz Parhami · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Iran tends to be told as the interaction between the oppressors and the oppressed, but ordinary Iranians lead lives that are predominantly occupied by family ties, love, career concerns, music, food, and many other human needs. Yes, oppression is a big part of the picture, but it isn't everything.

Iranian-American journalist Tara Kangarlou set out to portray ordinary Iranians, not those who govern them. Using stories from 24 individuals, chosen to represent Iran's diverse population in terms of ethnicity, religion, profession, gender identity, and more, Kangarlou succeeds in depicting Iranians as having the same hopes and aspirations as people in other countries and thus sharing a lot in common with those labeled as "enemies" by the ruling mullahs.

Of course, a country of 83 million cannot be profiled in only 24 lives, but even this limited profile presents a refreshingly different image of Iran than we see in books focusing primarily on the ruling class, religious fanatics, or the theocratic system. In the rest of this review, I discuss my impressions of four of the 24 chapters, two of them in some detail and two others rather briefly.

Chapter 5, Rabbi Harav Yehuda Gerami: The young leader of the Abrishami Synagogue appears cautious in his remarks. After all, unlike a few others on the list, his full name and position are spelled out in the book. He aspires "to keep alive a centuries-old religious tradition that allows Iranian Jews to practice their faith to its fullest within the borders of their homeland." It is because of statements such as the above that the author may have felt compelled to include a disclaimer at the end of the chapter, characterizing the young rabbi's musings as a story about one person and his family, adding that persecuting individuals based on their faith is an evil act that should always be condemned. Rabbi Gerami takes pride in being the only academically trained rabbi in Iran. His beliefs and aims are more contemporary than typical Jewish leaders who are hakhams (Torah scholars). He relates that he never felt any prejudice against his Jewish community or when he was a public-school student. He dismisses incidents of harassment to naughty children and kids-just-being-kids. He maintains that Iranian Jews are allowed to take the religious pilgrimage to Israel, apparently closing his eyes to the fact that numerous Jews have been tried as Israeli spies, simply because they had traveled to Israel. He cites the presence of 25,000 Jews in Iran as "a sign that Jewish people can live freely in the country," ignoring the damning number of 55,000 Jews estimated to have left Iran in the Revolution's wake.

Chapter 8, Mina: Being identified only by her first name is a sign that this woman's story is likely damaging to the Islamic Republic. At age 12, Mina was forced to marry a 30-year-old man, an event she considers tantamount to being killed. Mina wasn't allowed to go to school, even before she got married. At 14 and 18, she gave birth to two sons, and at 19, she lost her husband in a car accident. Getting remarried would have likely meant giving up her two sons, so, she decided to endure hardships to raise her sons and allow them to get educated. She eventually found a job at an army hospital, spending part of the Iran-Iraq War years working in hospitals near the front. Even with a permanent job, survival wasn't easy, because she paid up to 80% of her income for rent. Her two sons never went to college, as she had hoped, but she is happy that they are healthy and hold good jobs. For every Mina, who, through sheer determination and some luck, makes it through life as a child bride, there are numerous others who lead miserable lives. Imagine a woman, who has not experienced a normal childhood, trying to raise normal, healthy kids, without any safety net. Child marriages are not banned in Iran. They are in fact encouraged and enshrined in the country's laws. In the US, child marriages are frowned upon, but due to exceptions and local customs, a quarter-million children, some as young as 12, were married during the 2000s.

Chapter 17, Amir Saneei: A soldier/teacher, from a family with several generations of teachers, is paid the equivalent of $7.00 per month. As a kid, Amir was conflicted about chanting "Death to America" and "Death to Israel," given his parents' lesson "To love all and not say bad things about anyone." Despite the measly compensation, Amir works with dedication, cultivating the confidence that he can help any student, regardless of the circumstances.

Chapter 24, Taraneh Aram: A transgender woman, born Amir, adopted her first and last names after sex-change surgery at 22. Amir's mother working as a nurse in a fancy private hospital allowed him to realize his plans. Somewhat surprisingly, Iran does provide support to transgender people, mainly because they are deemed sick. This advocate for the LGBTQ community is judged by both men and women as half-woman, because she can't give birth.

Inclusion of brief biographies of the 24 individuals, at the beginning of the chapters or as sidebars, would have been helpful in providing the reader with a roadmap and a sense of why a particular individual was chosen for inclusion. In the current format, one does not learn about the specifics of some individuals until several pages into the chapter.

[Ilana]

Politics, say one of the many people interviewed and featured by journalist Tara Kangarlou in The Heartbeat of Iran, separate the world from love. I may add that when used abusively together with politics, religion can do the same.



Heartbeat of Iran is a collection of interviews with people from Iran. Doctors, artists, musicians, painters, burger joint owner, saffron lover, the ayatollah (black turban) watching Western movies like Me Before You and sharing his thoughts on Instagram (as for now, the only social media channel not officially blocked in Iran) ...There are so many faces of the everyday human of a country with over 80 million people.

Iranian-born Tara Kangarlou is an award winning journalist working for NBC, CNN, Al Jazeera ald Al Monitor, among others. In 2015 she reported from Iran for Al Jazeera during the nuclear negotiations, but also about the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and the refugees from war-torn Syria.

The collection of interview is aimed at a certain extent to feature the people who are not usually getting a voice in the Western media. The everyday citizen of the Islamic Republic who may not necessarily have a political opinion, but it´s directly affected by the politics of his or her country. There are people who despite their financial and professional possibilities, they decided to stay and live their life in their country.

Some of them represent minorities living in Iran, as the Jews - including the ambitious young chief rabbi of the Iranian Jewish community, Yehuda Gerami whose position need to be understood in the complex political context of his country -, Armenians, Zoroastrians and Baluchis. There are women with outstanding careers and ambitions, such as Nikoo Cheheltani, one of the few female divers in Iran, or the blind Sima Raisi who succeeded to get a PhD or Laleh Seddigh, the only Muslim female race car champion in the world.

Many of them belong to the so-called #ZheneKhoob - the Good Genes - an expression reserved for children belonging to influential - religiously, financialy, politically, or all the three at once - families that helped them to get a job or start a business. In a way, children are not guilty for the sins of their fathers and some of them may use their social and finacial capital to make a chance, although there is no guarantee.

My favorite story that may be a subject for a novel in itself is of Pedram Safarzadeh, about the sad wandering childhood accompanying an opium addict father that ended up being an addict and homeless himself. But in the end he was stronger than his demons and right now is just living a normal life, as everyday average people do. The story impresses by its strength and dramatism. The social and political context are relevant but it is the very human struggle which in the end matters. And this is more or less what happens at the end of each and every one of the stories featured in this book.

Book like The Heartbeat of Iran may or may not explain what happens right now in Iran. But at least it gives voices to some of his humans. Humans that based on the rich history and culture of thousands of years may deserve much better rulers than what destiny brought them in the last century or so.
Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[Clayton]

Read for class! Learned a lot. Very sweet and touching :)

[David Steven Jacoby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very personal insights into a multifaceted society

The Heartbeat of Iran paints a rich texture and captivating hues of Iranian society, as viewed through a prism of about a dozen “normal” people’s lives. While each character has become known for something exceptional, every one is touching, insightful, and familiar. The book, which paints a unifying societal portrait as viewed through this mosaic of interesting souls, is a balm for the wound of intolerant religious conservatism and geopolitical ostracism.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - 4 stars. Some of the interviews are better than the others.