Zan: Stories

In prose that is both unflinching and lyrical, Suzi Ehtesham-Zadeh presents Zan, a collection of stories that provide a deep and nuanced view of contemporary Iranian women as they navigate a crucial moment in their nation's history. A university student strips off her hijab in the streets of Tehran and films herself as part of a daring protest movement. A wealthy Iranian woman living in Atlanta maintains a secret life as a burlesque dancer. A teenager slips out of a hotel room at night to skinny dip in the toxic Caspian Sea. An Iranian lesbian agonises over her coming out and her father's subsequent attempts to re-educate her. These are some of the many windows Zan opens into the complex lives of Iranian women today those who continue to suffer oppression under the Islamic Republic, those who are crafting new identities in America, and those who hover somewhere in between. Against the backdrops of the Islamic Republic and the American empire, these women grapple with the rigid standards foisted upon them and struggle to forge meaningful relationships with people who misunderstand and otherise them. Winner of the 2022 Dzanc Short Collection Prize, Zan explores feelings familiar to anyone who has ever felt marginalised or who has sought a home in a world where cultures collide and conflict.

About the Author :
Suzi Ehtesham-Zadeh was born in Washington, D.C. to an Iranian father and an American mother. She moved to Iran at age 5 and grew up in Tehran under the Shah. She returned to the U.S. to attend Stanford University, and when the Islamic Revolution started brewing shortly after she graduated, she moved back to Iran and plopped herself down in it. She later received an MFA in Creative Writing from Boston University. A lifelong English teacher, she has taught in schools and universities on three continents, but her permanent home is a 6-acre farm in Woodstock, GA. Her fiction has been published in numerous publications, including The Georgia Review, Gertrude Press, and Fiction International, and she received an honorable mention for The Best American Short Stories 2018.

Review :
“Plainspoken protest stories that balance head and heart in their attempts to evoke empathy… Ehtesham-Zadeh’s admiration and indignation for the women of Iran always shine through.” –Kirkus Reviews "Zan is a collection of rich, groundbreaking stories which explore the ways that Iranian women struggle to survive under the weight of old customs and the pull of their homeland as they face American possibilities and freedom. Ehtesham-Zadeh is a sophisticated writer with deep understanding and a keen eye for details.  The stories in Zan are always nuanced and moving, and ultimately, the book is an uplifting eulogy to the indomitable human spirit." -Ha Jin, author of Waiting and War Trash "Zan cuts through prevailing narratives of Middle Eastern womanhood with characters who demand to be seen for who they are—sensuous, political, fierce, and imperfect. These visceral and beautifully wrought stories are brimming with unforgettable detail and vivid imagery that resonates long after the page." — Maija Mäkinen, author of The Ghosts of Other Immigrants "This is the required text to understand the slogan Woman, Life, Freedom—a heartbreaking collection of stories about Iranian women that combine into a message much larger than a single country, but expand, like  Scheherezade’s tales, to reveal not victimhood but immense and world-changing power." –Mehrsa Baradaran, author of Color of Money and The Quiet Coup "A captivating collection that explores the lives of Iranian women balancing cultural expectations with personal ambition, love, and loss. In each one of these stories, we are transported to the inner world of a resilient woman whose company we don’t want to leave. Written with clarity, heart, and refreshing honesty this is a compelling, gorgeous debut." –Marjan Kamali, bestselling author of The Stationary Shop and The Lion Women of Tehran “Zan is a collection of stories that puts me in the heart of Iranian women’s lives. Beautifully written, tragedy captured—there is much to learn from stories like these.” —Matt Aragon-Shafi, West Side Books & Curios, Denver, CO   “Each story in Zan is powerful, deep, and nuanced, providing a needed window into the complex lives of Iranian women today. A must-read.” —Kristin Saner, Fables Books, Goshen, IN   “A beautiful and complex look at Iranian women and their struggles on the day-to-day, in their varied and full lives. With its poignant writing, this collection is moving and deep.” —Arden Harris, A Seat at the Table Books, Elk Grove, CA