From Iran to America: Mahnaz and Shirin – A Love Story

Written through the eyes of a young boy in Iran and later a young man in America, the author’s experiences – at times funny, at times poignant – give the reader insight into life in the Middle East, and especially in Iran. Adding to this are his harrowing lessons in love at the hands of the two Iranian women who give this book its title. This is an informative, while also gripping read.

This fictional story is loosely based on true events that have taken place beginning in the 1950's in Iran and continuing up until the present in the United States. Some of these events happened in the author’s life, and the rest are what he is aware of. The story is delivered in the first person, however, and fictional elements and characters have been incorporated, in order to better convey the author’s intended message in a smooth storyline. The main purpose of the book is to provide the reader a window into some aspects of life and upbringing in the Middle East, and especially in Iran. In addition, the author hopes to raise awareness of some issues faced by foreigners in America and in other countries worldwide. The recounting of real events in a human life invariably includes moments of sadness. In order to strike a balance, a conscious effort has been made to add elements of humor even amid dire circumstances. For the benefit of readers who are not native English speakers, and in keeping with the author’s fascination with idioms and expressions, an additional index has been included to help the reader understand expressions encountered in this book which may not be familiar.

Reza Mashayekhi in his own words: I was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. After high-school, I first attended the American University of Beirut, and later the University of Michigan, where I received my aerospace engineering degree. I have been a consulting engineer here in San Diego, but my true passion now is writing and directing. The fact is, I’m sometimes frustrated by the practical limitations of engineering. I therefore use fiction as a far less constrained medium of expression to help me give life to my thoughts and far-reaching imagination. I am presently working on a script for a movie based on some of the short stories I have written. My writings are mostly inspired by true events. Some of these have actually happened to me, but most are events that I’m aware of without any personal involvement on my part. I start writing about them and then let my imagination take over. You can read more about my books on the following pages. Presently I'm working on a couple of scripts which will be announced on this site before too long.