In 1977, newlyweds Angela and Doug Weston embark on a journey to Iran for work, unaware of the impending Iranian revolution.

Angela secures a teaching position at the University of Esfahan, determined to bridge cultural gaps despite encountering resistance from a failing student.Meanwhile, Doug strives to earn a bonus for his architectural firm, battling his own insecurities and suspicions.

As past and present secrets strain their relationship, the escalating political and personal tensions threaten not only their marriage but also their lives.

Isfahan or Esfahan/Espahan is the capital of the province, the county, and the district.It is the third-most populous city in Iran, after Tehran and Mashhad, and the second-largest metropolitan area.

Isfahan is located at the intersection of the two principal routes that traverse Iran, north–south and east–west. Isfahan flourished between the 9th and 18th centuries. Under the Safavid Empire, Isfahan became the capital of Iran for the second time in its history, under Abbas the Great. The city retains much of its history. It is famous for its Persian–Muslim architecture, grand boulevards, covered bridges, palaces, tiled mosques, and minarets. Isfahan also has many historical buildings, monuments, paintings, and artifacts. The fame of Isfahan led to the Persian proverb Esfahān nesf-e-jahān ast (Isfahan is half (of) the world).
The Abbasi Hotel (formerly known as the "Shah Abbas Hotel") is a hotel located in Isfahan.
The whole complex was built at the time of King Sultan Husayn of Safavid to provide lodging for travellers.

Numerous American expatriates live in or once lived and worked in Iran such as US Ambassadors to Iran-diplomats, foreign service officers, civil servants, lawyers, economists, military aides, CIA Operatives, American scholars and academics of Persian history, art and architecture, teachers and educators, authors,translators and linguists, missionaries, sports people, physicians, people on business etc.

Iran-United States relations were positive until the 1953 Iranian coup d'état,as it led to the dissolution of Iranian democracy and society,which affected civil rights.

Half the World by Leila Shahrzad offers a unique and captivating view of Iran during a time of significant cultural and political shifts, all through the lens of an American perspective. I thoroughly enjoyed the historical and cultural insights the novel provided, particularly as it allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of a society that is often misunderstood in Western narratives. Shahrzad's extensive research and personal experiences clearly shaped the richness of the world she created, and it was refreshing to see such attention to detail in depicting the complexities of Iran.

The storyline itself was gripping, especially in the way it explored themes of identity, power, and the intertwining of personal and political struggles. However, as the novel progressed into the middle, the pacing seemed to slow down, making it a bit harder to stay engaged. I found myself pushing through certain sections, waiting for the story to pick up again. This wasn’t necessarily a deal-breaker, but it did affect the overall reading experience.

One aspect that was slightly confusing towards the end was the merging of the characters Rahmani and Hassad. Their names were sometimes used interchangeably, which left me trying to figure out if this was a deliberate choice or just an oversight. This, combined with the rather abrupt shift in one character's change of heart, made the conclusion feel rushed. While the transformation added a layer of depth to the narrative, it felt a bit too sudden for me to fully embrace it as a natural part of the character's arc.

Despite these minor flaws, I still found Half the World to be a thought-provoking and enjoyable read. The rich historical context and cultural exploration kept me invested in the story, though the pacing issues made it take longer to finish than I typically would expect. If you're looking for a book that offers a deeper understanding of Iran from an American viewpoint, this novel is well worth the time, but be prepared for a slower pace in the middle and a conclusion that leaves you with more questions than answers.

Read my full review at Independent Book Review: https://independentbookreview.com/2024/10/09/book-review-half-the-world/

Leissa Shahrak’s “Half The World,” which installs its likable American protagonist, Angela Weston, and her architect husband, Doug, in 1970s pre-revolution Iran, kept putting me in mind of Kathryn Crawley’s “Walking on Fire,” which places its similarly likable protagonist, Kate Adams, in an analogously tense time in 1970s Greece, where no sooner does she arrive than she finds her credentials being checked by an ominous-looking military official in an office dotted with photos of other military men.
What role might her inquisitor have played in stories she’s heard about prisons and torture during the dictatorship, she wonders – the same sort of question wondered by Shahrak’s Angela as she arrives in Iran and takes in from her taxi window an unmarked building which she’s given to understand might house the nation’s dreaded secret police, SAVAK. “Instruments of torture, odors of burning flesh and involuntary defecation, bloodied bodies and shrill screams,” she imagines inside the building.
For all the opening scene’s portentousness about the governing regime, though, there’s no correspondingly menacing government official like Crawley's captain hovering over Shahrak’s novel. Anti-Shah sentiments proliferate, however, with “death to the Shah” and “death to America” chants becoming ever more evident as Angela feels increasingly menaced by one of her students at the university where she teaches English.
Not as strident, though, he is as some of his comrades, who would have him kill the Westons, with the ready access to them that his student status affords him. And while he resists going that far, he does burglarize their residence, hoping that will get them to leave the country.
A complicated character, he is both disruptive in Angela’s class, where he loudly supplies his own interpretations to the books under study, but also appealing enough in his way to get Angela to visit his home, where she hopes to get some further understanding of him but is unprepared for what she finds there.
Like stepping into a Dickens novel transplanted to Iran, she thinks of the scene of squalor and poverty she comes upon, including a girl, obviously disabled, who she supposes is his sister.
“The girl’s hair, heavy and matted,” she notes, “fell over her brow, one wisp plastered to her cheek by dried snot. Her nose ran. Drool trickled from her thick, parted lips. “
“If only she could wash the girl’s face and hair and soothe her agitation,” Angela thinks as she visits with the mother and anticipates the father’s arrival, only to learn he’s dead.
Disclosing more would be giving away too much, other than to say that, like Crawley’s novel, Shahrak’s is a depiction of American innocents caught up in upheaval abroad, the fearfulness of the immediate situation intensified for Angela by marital tensions brought on not just by the Iranian situation but also by nightmares for Doug from his involvement in the Vietnam War, an enduring American torment, which, in another parallel with Crawley’s novel, is the occasion for Greek anger throughout that novel.
An absorbing and informative read about U.S. intervention abroad, in short, Shahrak’s novel, and particularly relevant now with the question of American involvement abroad again being tested by the situations in Ukraine and Gaza.

Half the World by Leissa Shahrak transports readers to 1977, where newlyweds Angela and Doug Weston move to Iran, unaware of the revolution brewing on the horizon. Angela takes on a teaching role at the University of Esfahan, striving to bridge cultural divides, despite facing resistance from a failing student. Meanwhile, Doug battles insecurities and struggles to earn a bonus for his architectural firm, all while political and personal tensions grow.

As secrets from their past and present threaten to unravel their marriage, the couple’s relationship becomes entangled in the dangers of the escalating revolution, placing not just their love, but their lives, in jeopardy.

Shahrak’s historical novel brilliantly captures the turmoil of the time, making the reader feel the intense pressures of living in Iran during the 1979 revolution. I found the characters, particularly the young Iranian antagonist, to be realistic and well-developed, with their personal histories informing their decisions and struggles. The layers of tension build as the antagonist’s personality and motives unfold, making him a complex and intriguing part of the story.

This is a compelling read, especially for those interested in the Iranian Revolution, historical fiction from this era, or literary fiction in general. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it for its nuanced portrayal of a Western couple navigating the political upheaval and cultural complexities of the time.

Read more at The Secret Bookreview.

i really enjoyed reading this book, and highly recommend it for anyone interested in iran during the 1979 revolution, in period stories from this time, or fans of literary fiction in general.

the book tells the story of a young western couple living and working in iran at the time of the 1979 revolution. for their own reasons, each feels compelled to stay in iran when civil unrest makes living stressful and then ultimately dangerous. a young iranian man takes the position of antagonist for much of the story. he, along with the young couple, make up the point-of-view characters.

i found the pov characters realistic and likable. their individual histories inform their personal struggles within the narrative, and their reactions are believable. in particular, the young antagonist's personality and personal struggles only became clear as the story progressed.

thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

Are you in the mood for a historical novel? Half The World was a great story set in Iran. I really liked this book.

I really liked this book! I like the history and information i learned throughout this book. I do think it was a bit dull at times, and slow paced, but that was manageable since the rest of the story was enjoyable. I liked the characters, and how the secrets made you question whether or not they would make it. It is also a good topic to read about people moving to another country for work.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and especially the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review of the book!!