'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.