This Goes Out to the Underground: A Mother, Her Daughter, and How We All Rise Together

by Pardis Mahdavi

In this searingly honest memoir, an activist and human-trafficking expert retells the true story of how she utilized illicit trade networks to smuggle herself across the globe and save her daughter—and ignited a feminist movement.

Pardis Mahdavi has always been caught between worlds—whether the strict expectations of her Iranian-American family stuck in the 1970s versus the liberated reality of living in Iran during the sexual revolution in the early 2000s; the demands of her traditional, controlling husband and the responsibility that came with her research into the world’s most vulnerable women; or the pipe dream of justice from a legal system that abandoned her in contrast to the efficiency of grassroots organizations that served to traffic goods and people.

When her two-year-old daughter vanished, Pardis believed she had a twenty-four-hour window before Tara might be lost forever. With the police unable to help, Pardis called the one man she still trusted: Sumac, who had been her jailer in Iran four years earlier, when she was put under house arrest and interrogated about her involvement in the movements to challenge the regime.

In a Los Angeles courtroom fighting for custody, Pardis met other women stymied by an unjust justice system. These women, marginalized since birth, used underground feminist networks to do the impossible over and over: to survive and make the world safer for others through lasting changes in human trafficking laws and reproductive rights.

Genres: Biography Memoir, Nonfiction, Social Justice

288 pages, Hardcover

Published July 26, 2022

Reviews

[Linds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Hachette Books/Goodreads giveaways for the first advanced copy of a book I've ever received!

Wow. Mahdavi has written an incredibly powerful memoir and call to activism. Never shying away from sharing the totality of her harrowing story, she expertly weaves in her personal journey with an examination of the feminist movement(s) in Iran and across the Middle East. I'm amazed by her tireless commitment to research, policymaking, and organizing amidst the turmoil unfolding in her personal life. As a Pomona alum, the image of her running across campus to get home to her daughter was a particularly striking visual for me - and a poignant reminder of how close to home all of these events are, despite my (American) tendency to associate trafficking with other countries. Also, what a lovely reminder this was of just how strong women are, in ways big and small, on a daily basis, even when our work is ignored or erased.

"Let us heal ourselves. Let us know our value and find ways to anchor ourselves so that we can live through our values - our values of justice - and into the world." - Raya

[Jill Dobbe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly captivating read about a heroic wife, mother, and feminist who fights for feminism and justice in a brutal Iran. A must-read.

Thank you to Netgalley, publisher, and Mahdavi for this ARC.

[Alyssa Bernhardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mahdavi's story of life between Iran and America, of struggling with identity, of becoming a mother with an abusive partner, and of researching and studying the women's revolution and trafficking is full of feelings. It is awe inspiring, heartbreaking, devastating, enraging, and encouraging. Mahdavi's dedication to her work, her career, and her family gave me so much appreciation for her.

The book was slow to get into, but once I got to the intense parts of the story, I couldn't put it down. Definitely recommend this book for those who want to understand the fight for women's rights, feminism, and to end trafficking.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

[A · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is in 2 main parts. The first section introduces us to our academically ambitious young female author living in California with family/cultural pressure to marry. But instead, she spends time partying in Iran, where she gets involved in the feminist movement before starting her PhD. The second section is about her domestic hell with its long, drawn-out custody case. I think there could have been 2 books here and I would have liked to see the first one fleshed out more, (whereas I would have skipped the second one). I liked learning about the people of Iran and trafficking, but I didn’t find the writing especially effective. I never felt I was experiencing what the author described during the many horrific times she wrote about how her hands shook & she cried or was paralyzed with fear etc. So there was a lack of connection.
I won a free copy of this book (thanks to the author & publisher!) and am voluntarily providing an honest review.

[Natalia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very excited for this book. Tough stories from places far away with people that face great difficulty always interest me. It is as if I am given the gift of a window that opens up to a world that is very much not my own and I am humbled to look through it. Pardis Mahdavi’s story is not an easy one as she faced much oppression and opposition by living in Iran in the early 2000’s, by being a woman, a feminist, an American, and a journalist. She is obviously passionate about women’s rights, feminism, about exposing the underbelly of human trafficking in the Middle East, about showcasing the many brave people that move around unrecognized, sacrificing their own safety and livelihoods to help others that are oppressed.

Mahdavi is an inspirational woman, one that has a long and impressive resume of teaching, writing and working in the United States government where she represents the voices of women and of human trafficking victims.

That being said, I did not like her memoir. I recognize her life story, all that she has been through and all she has done, but if I am to look at this memoir objectively, as a book, it is not a very good one. Disclaimer: I did receive an Advanced Readers Copy of This Goes Out to the Underground some time ago (December 2021, to be exact) so some of the issues I am about to mention might have been amended prior to publishing. It felt as it severely lacked an editor as the writing felt amateurish and repetitive. Some characters felt awfully cartoonish, and others appeared or were introduced out of nowhere. We moved quickly through Pardis’s life - from the time she went to Iran for the first time when she was 19, to when she was back in the United States in her late 20s and early 30s after being arrested and ostracized by the Iranian government.

While the first half of the memoir focused on her time in Iran, the second half of the book focused on Pardis’s relationship with her first husband and the father of her eldest daughter. Very often (very, very often, to the point of tedium) she said she was a feminist, and it was a surprise to all (her family and the reader) when she decided to get married to a man she hardly seemed to know. I wish she spent more time on when she met her first husband and their budding relationship. He was not a very good person, obviously, and probably not worth her time while writing the book, however, I would have liked to know what drew him to her in the first place. Those first moments of their relationship were sorely missed.

Again, I fully understand that this is a memoir, somebody’s real-life experiences and stories, so I don’t want to expect too much. But as I reader, I found it hard to connect with her or the moments of her life, even though I greatly wanted to.

If you would like to see a glimpse of what Iran was like in the early 2000’s, and learn how the horrid practice of human trafficking affects women, men and children in the Middle East and worldwide, I think this would be a good place to start. It seems like Pardis has written other books on the subjects, so they might be a good place to continue. Sadly though, I cannot recommend This Goes out to the Underground, though that might be only due to my own personal taste in writing.

[Jane Dennish · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning of this book feels like My Big Fat Greek Wedding in that the author is constantly bombarded her mother and other well meaning Iranian American women in her life trying to pressure her into marriage. This part of the book starts off on a lighthearted tone, but soon changes as she travels to Iran in the early 2000s. There she is confronted with the reality women face in Iran. But she finds an underground life filled with partying, alcohol, sex and a rebellious attitude toward the government and the beliefs. She returns throughout her life as a journalist, so she can expose what is going on with the country's women. There are extremely life threatening experiences she has in Iran, enough to make you wonder why she keeps returning. The second half of the book focuses on her relationship with her husband and then ex-husband, as he kidnaps their daughter. She must face the courts in Los Angeles, which truly feel like they are held in a different country. This was an interesting book, but I felt like I was reading almost different stories at different points. It's hard to explain what it lacked. It felt like different subplots. They had similar themes, but I still felt like I was reading different stories and they didn't go together. I get what the author was trying to do, but it feels so disjointed.

Thanks so much to Hachette Books for this gifted arc. This book comes out July 26, 2022.

[Dallas Shattuck]

This Goes Out to the Underground by Pardis Mahdavi (out TOMORROW!)

This Goes Out to the Underground is an emotional, eye opening, and honest memoir. Mahdavi is a human-trafficking expert and activist who was researching the sexual revolution in Iran. She chronicles her research efforts, imprisonment in Iran, her marriage, and subsequent divorce and the resulting trauma.

Wow, wow. This was an incredibly moving memoir. As a mom, there were several moments that made me teary-eyed. It was heart-wrenching. It’s hard to believe that Mahdavi had to go through all of this—between imprisonment, divorce, and the attempted kidnapping/trafficking of her daughter. I had to remind myself this was non-fiction. I just cannot imagine what the author went through.

I learned A LOT about the feminist and sexual revolution movements in Iran, and the incredible underground groups who fight for these causes.

I highly, highly recommend giving this memoir a read! Thank you Pardis Mahdavi for sharing your story with readers 🥹 thank you @netgalley, @hachettebooks for the #gifted copy!

[Andi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an eye opener this book is! There are SO many things Americans are truly spoiled in, and we just don't know. I feel there's a bit of an underlining theme of guilt about writing about women's plights for "freedom", and maybe I'm wrong. If I'm right, I'm SO glad the guilt didn't win out and this story was written. It's heart-breaking. I feel I saw God's work woven all through this woman's (the author) life. Thank you Dr. Madhavi for sharing your journey thus far! Tears were shed. Anger was felt over injustices unavenged. Ear to ear smiles and genuine happiness was felt upon learning of good outcomes for some.

If you're looking for a pull your heart strings story....
If you're looking for a tiny glimpse into how "the other side" lives....
If you want to share in someone else's pains and triumphs....
This just might be the story for you.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excerpt from the book cover: "This Goes Out to the Underground is a harrowing account by an Iranian-American journalist, activist, and mother about the power of justice feminism, and a testament to the world-shaking bond between a mother and daughter."

To reveal more would be a disservice to the adventure contained within as well as the reader. This book is for anyone that wants a glimpse into a culture and underground settings that do not get enough media exposure. This book is recommended for anyone interested in seeing the seedier underground of the human trafficking world. It's a quick read.

**thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pardis Mahdavi is an extremely strong, intelligent woman who lives by her convictions which has proven almost deadly. Yet she has survived the direst experiences to follow her beliefs. She explains what human traficking really means and its existance today all over the world. A compelling read which reveals an amazing group of people worldwide who continue to fight against trafickers and those they capture. This book is a REAL educational experience.
A very, very good read.

[Emmylou (womanwillread) · Rating 3 out of 5]

An incredible and harrowing story that felt both too vulnerable and not vulnerable enough at times. It read like a first draft that needed to be massaged a few more times before print so the messaging about global justice feminism more clearly tied to Mahdavi's personal struggles.

[Sandy Goguen-Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love true story books. Great book about an activist and human trafficking expert. When she feared her daughter would be kidnapped by her ex-husband she became her own case study.