Mirage
by Nahid Rachlin
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Pub Date Aug 27 2024 | Archive Date Sep 27 2024
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Description
Set in contemporary Iran, Mirage delves into the complicated relationship between Roya and her identical twin sister, Tala.
Their inseparable bond becomes hard to maintain as they grow older, but when they both get pregnant at the same time, their relationship is rekindled. After an accident causes Roya to miscarry and Tala to go into labor, grief, jealousy, suspicion, and guilt fracture that recently renewed relationship. Delving deep into the human psyche, Nahid Rachlin intricately explores themes of sisterly identity, betrayal, envy, depression, loss, and the impact of memories. Like Ottessa Moshfegh's Death in Her Hands, Mirage artfully juxtaposes the sociopolitical dynamics of contemporary Iran with a story of the nature of grief and redemption that will take firm hold of your heart.
Advance Praise
“I was completely drawn into Mirage and captivated by its haunting young heroine. In spare, yet sensual, prose, Rachlin brings to life the felt experience of women in contemporary Iran. Like the intertwined fates of the two identical twin sisters, Roya and Tala, the personal—loss, betrayal, the tentative border between illusion and reality—intertwines with the political, as the characters navigate within an oppressive and secretive society to balance self-preservation, autonomy, and idealism. With its lush and richly colored setting and surreal and menacing atmosphere, Mirage casts a powerful spell on the reader.”—Céline Keating, author of The Stark Beauty of Last Things
“With its lush, intimate details and vivid storytelling, Mirage is at times heartbreaking, at other times urgent—and always deeply compelling. Nahid Rachlin skillfully weaves together complex relationships and a fraught political landscape to bring to life this striking novel. As the disturbing mystery at its center unfolds, Mirage is sure to keep readers entranced until the very last page.”—Sofia Romero, author of We Have Always Been Who We Are
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781636281148 |
| PRICE | $17.95 (USD) |
| PAGES | 208 |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Iris M, Reviewer
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.
Susan B, Reviewer
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.
M K, Reviewer
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.
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