I have read many books set in different cultural settings by authors of different countries and I have loved reading the books and reading about the life in the countries I would never be able to experience myself. The reason to request Mirage was the same, to read about people from different countries make you understand how lives differ from one to another.

I have read and loved kite runner and Mirage somehow reminded me of the same experience. First of all I would say that although parts of the book are well written, it gave me an impression that it wasn't really published in English but is a translated work. I was actually shocked that it wasn't the case.

Mirage tells us a story of two twin sisters, Roya and Tala. The story is told by Roya. The book tells us how life of women in Iran is still difficult and there are so many constraints on women. But the highlight of the story isn't that but the relationship between two sisters. To be honest, the relationship between those two was toxic, there wasn't an ounce of love that I felt the sisters had for each other. There was competition, jealousy and betrayal which kind of made me hate both of them, and maybe that was author had intended to do.

The writing is clustered, lot many times author will break the flow suddenly by reminiscing old days or the past. It was okay in the start but it happened so often in the whole book , almost after every single thing the author was describing that it was breaking the flow of the narration.

The conversation between the characters are one liners and unrealistic, like they are written by someone who doesn't speak English well. It made reading whole book a disappointing experience. Like there's this incident when Tala breaks a big secret to Roya and the conversation is so mundane that it doesn't feel emotional, even after being a truth that can damage a relationship it felt like both the characters just shrugged it off and moved on.

Same happens towards the end when there should have been a emotional wreckage and turmoil between the two main characters , there's hardly anything of that sort. Throughout the book, every character is aloof in some way, like they all have a very formal relationship with each other and not blood relations or married to each other. All characters felt one dimensional and on a whole, the character development was really poor given that all that was discussed in the book was relationship between the twin sisters.

The dialogues are immature and it kept bugging me. It was very slow paced story and the whole experience was like reading someone's personal diary where entry was done day by day so it was lacking a flow that keeps readers engaged and felt very haphazardly written . Many a times I thought of quitting the book but I pushed myself thinking I will miss a really good book. Sadly the ending too disappointed me.

It felt like the dialogues were written by someone completely different , someone who isn't much familiar with English well enough, someone for whom English is third world language and other parts by someone who knows English quite well.

Overall I was completely and utterly disappointed with the book.
Thank you Netgalley and Red hen press for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

The direct, clear-cut style navigates this story towards its apparently singular, great point of struggle between a pair of identical twin sisters - who is the mother of the surviving baby? The rest of their lives, past, present, and future, unravel artfully around it, and from there the reader realizes the real causes of friction in their relationship that started perhaps from when they were born: love, and personhood. Rachlin poignantly delivers the developments of Roya's life, as a mirror, a leader, a follower of Tala's life, regardless of whether they are together or apart, speaking or in silence. Grappling with family and the loss it leads to, against the sociopolitical backdrop of Iranian society's hopeful activists and expectant civilians, Mirage explores the dream, reality, and illusion of identity between identical twin sisters who have only ever truly known each other their whole lives.

'Mirage' is a women's fiction novel about the lives of twin sisters who are seemingly codependent and yet competitive.
The story was fast-paced enough to keep me interested. However, the writing is so matter-of-fact that I didn’t feel as emotionally invested in the story, considering the heavy themes of loss, grief, betrayal, and trust.
I was fascinated by the description of contemporary Iran. Rachlin easily weaves in the discrepancies of the more traditional and modern areas in the nation.

If you enjoy reading about complex relationships between family or close friends and enjoy learning about a new culture in the process, then I recommend this book to you!

Special thanks to the Publisher, Red Hen Press and Net Galley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The story of *Mirage* is set in Iran, a country whose setting, culture, and political dynamics are explored with great care and attention to realism—even the emotions of the characters are vividly portrayed. Everything unfolds naturally, and each event is rich in relatable details, carefully placed at just the right moments to enrich the story without overwhelming it.

It's extremely easy to empathize with the two protagonists—two nearly identical sisters raised to support each other in everything, even when things get tough. One marries a wealthy Russian businessman who hides an authoritarian demeanor; the other marries a journalist who leaves her with no shortage of worries. When both become pregnant, a tragic accident ensures that only one can carry her pregnancy to term and give birth to a sweet baby boy.

Although the details and emotions are delicately and attentively conveyed, at certain points, the novel struggles to maintain its high standard. The greatest challenge lies in the most crucial plot point: the accident involving the two sisters, which is not adequately explained in the story. The descriptions in those pages are rather vague, making it difficult for the reader to understand how that series of events leads to subsequent developments.

Nonetheless, it remains a fascinating novel that I recommend for the care taken in the storytelling and in providing details consistent with the setting, despite the complexity of portraying such a state on paper. Being drawn to the characters and following their stories is certainly reason enough to pick up this book.

Tomorrow, Thursday, August 29th, an article about this novel will be published on my blog (medium.com/@inabookhole).

A fabulous psychological thriller set in contemporary Iran. I will be reviewing it for the Asian Review of Books around the time of the pub date. I enjoyed the story and learned a lot about modern day Iran. Now I want to read more from Nahid Rachlin.

This book reminded me of Khaled Hosseini’s works in some ways. Overall the story was very sad but heartwarming at times too. Towards the middle I felt less into the book, but I am glad that I finished it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Red Hen Press for this ARC copy.

The writing style and subject matter reminds me slightly of Khaled Hosseini’s A thousand splendid suns. Particularly the way that the domestic love is presented against the backdrop of the socio-political context.

At times the plot points and conflict felt a little convenient or overly simplified but Overall a really enjoyable read

It is refreshing to read stories set in different cultural contexts. This book provides a good authentic setting for the story set in Iran, including the political dynamics at play, and the aspirations of the people. Some of the key incidents come across as too convenient and the writing could have been better.

Roya & Tala are identical twin sisters. The story is told from Roya’s perspective. Their father was a professor and their mother a Farsi - Spanish translator. People tell them about how similar they are, and their mother had emphasized that they need to stand for each other all their lives. Though they are close, there is also an undercurrent of tension bordering on distrust at times. The story traverses back to their childhood on and off. Tala gets married to Anton, a Russian national conducting business in Iran. Tala is not sure what business he is in, but suspects there might be some illegal aspects to it. Anton is also a domineering husband. Roya get married to Reza. While she has a good understanding with him, she is worried as he writes articles for an underground newspaper. Roya & Tala plan their pregnancy at the same time. Roya & Tala are visiting the town of Rey, when a structure collapse injures them. Roya loses her baby and is distraught. Tala delivers a baby boy, and she names him Tavoos. A lot is to follow with each of the characters.

I liked the cultural context and the tensions in society as the rigid rules conflict with peoples aspirations for freedom. The character development could have been better. The key incident involving the accident is very poorly described.

Overall, an interesting story which could have capitalized better on the potential it offered.

This book made me sob but in a good way. Very well written and I really connected with both of the main characters. It was a very interesting look into Iran as well and I would 100% recommend this book to anyone

In "Mirage" by Nahid Rachlin, Roya narrates her life as the identical twin to Tala, exploring themes of loss, death, grief, betrayal, forgiveness, and the complex dynamics of sisterhood against the backdrop of contemporary Iran. Rachlin's evocative prose vividly captures the sociopolitical landscape of Iran under its current regime, intricately weaving it into the lives of her characters.

While immersed in Roya's narrative, I deeply empathized with her losses and frustrations. Tala, on the other hand, proved to be a character for whom I struggled to feel sympathy, given her actions that inflicted pain, sorrow, and anguish upon her sister. Throughout the story, I found myself hoping Roya would assert herself a bit more against Tala and express her inner turmoil. Nevertheless, I admired Roya for her resilience, strength, and capacity for forgiveness.

If you are looking for a story that explores sister relationships and enjoyed "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Housseini, I highly recommend this novel.

Special thanks to the Publisher, Red Hen Press and Net Galley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.