Included in the ‘Books That Buzzed at BEA’ Roundup, the first word on titles and trends from Barbara Hoffert, Editor ‘Gina B. Nahai has written a brilliant, funny, poignant, and thrilling novel about an Iranian Jewish family’s struggle to find its identity in exile in America. Part murder mystery, part comic novel, ‘The Luminous Heart of Jonah S.’ is a book you will not be able to put down.’ –Reza Aslan, author of ‘Zealot’ and ‘No god but God’ ‘Gina B. Nahai uses her gift for storytelling to add to the pantheon of American immigrant tales, but this time with an Iranian Jewish twist. This novel not only entertains, but asks the bigger question: do immigrants reinvent themselves in America or simply live out their destinies?’ –Firoozeh Dumas, author of ‘Funny in Farsi’ ‘Gina B. Nahai has given us a remarkable new work–part murder mystery, part lyrical novel, part sociological study of Iranian Jewish culture between Tehran and LA. Her sections on old Jewish Iran are simply transcendent; her insights into the Iranian exile culture in California, its excesses and vulnerabilities, are fascinating to read. Nahai brings a mystical touch to whatever she describes, reminding us of the magic–and at times dark and terrifying forces–of this world that so many were forced to leave behind, but continued to carry within them even decades later and thousands of miles away in America. Bravo.’ –Lucette Lagnado, author of ‘The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit’ and ‘The Arrogant Years’ ‘Equal parts Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Isaac Bashevis Singer, and Persian ‘Bonfire of the Vanities,’ this is Gina B. Nahai’s breakout book, a quantum leap forward in ambition, humor, and scope that’s sure to win her legions of new fans and catapult her onto ‘Best Book of the Year’ and award short lists. Set in 1950s-’90s Tehran and LA, and gleefully skewering the excesses of both, Nahai’s assured, masterly voice sweeps the reader in with its page-turning murder plot, but it’s her colorful characters–who are by turns diabolical, hilarious, poignant, scheming, vengeful, tragic, and lovelorn–who form this book’s pulsing, exuberant heart.’ –Denise Hamilton, author of ‘Damage Control’ ‘Gina B. Nahai’s new novel is a boisterous, sometimes hilarious look at a community rarely seen in America. The Iranian Jewish families here fight for the same thing we all fight for–recognition and, of course, love.’ –Susan Straight, author of ‘Between Heaven and Here’ From Tehran to Los Angeles, ‘The Luminous Heart of Jonah S.’ is a sweeping saga that tells the story of the Soleymans, an Iranian Jewish family tormented for decades by Raphael’s Son, a crafty and unscrupulous financier who has futilely claimed to be an heir to the family’s fortune. Forty years later in Los Angeles, Raphael’s Son has nearly achieved his goal–until he suddenly disappears, presumed by many to have been murdered. The possible suspects are legion: his long-suffering wife; nu
