John Guytan Guytan itibaren Păunești 627260, Romania itibaren Păunești 627260, Romania

The reality of this story is stark and unaltered; this was especially clear in the end when I could literally feel Seierstad hoping and wishing that things had turned out differently, especially for Leila. Because this book felt like a novel throughout, I almost believed it would find a way to tie up neatly in the end. I'm not sure how I feel about Seierstad's decision to remove herself and tell this story in a novelistic way. While it makes it a great read, it also lends itself to being interpreted as fiction and makes me wonder if any little thoughts these characters are having might be invented. On the other hand, a case study or series of interviews would not have the same emotional effect and would not be read by the same audience. In any case, I don't think she made a 'wrong' decision, like some reviewers seem to think - it's more that a very different book could have been written than what she wrote and different readers would have preferred it. Me, I'm a fiction reader at heart, though I dabble in a lot of non-fiction, and I think Seierstad is honest in this book - she's a professional journalist after all, and she did her homework by living with the Khan family. Themes: Iran, Islam, culture, religion, dictatorship, war, terrorism, women, poverty, fear, family