This memoir was a powerful and thought-provoking read. Mahdavi's story of defying a broken system to save her daughter, Tara, was both heartbreaking and ultimately inspiring.

Especially noteworthy was her exploration of the complex societal and cultural forces that shaped her life. The way she weaved her personal journey with the fight for women's rights added a powerful layer to the narrative.

"This Goes Out to the Underground" is a must-read for anyone interested in feminism, social justice, and the strength of the human spirit. Mahdavi's story is a testament to the power of defying the odds and building solidarity with others facing similar challenges.

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!

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.

Pardis 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 if 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.

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.

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

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 and engaging read.