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by Golnaz Rafiei (Author)
We are "others" is the deeply personal true story of one family's journey through the devastating changes in Iran following the Islamic Revolution and the circumstances that led them to leave their home and become immigrants in a foreign land. Told through the lens of a woman born to a liberal family just after the revolution, a powerful tale emerges, one of resilience, determination, forgiveness, and faith.The narrator who comes to London to continue her education and after finishing his studies, becomes a citizen of England and leaves all her past behind, but it seems that the memories do not leave her. Memories follow her like shadows everywhere. But this is one dimension of the book. The other dimension of the book actually deals with some social phenomena such as the occurrence of the revolution, the causes of migration, the struggles of living in other countries, the acceptance or non-acceptance of the new society, and so on.
It can be said; The life of this family is narrated in the context of social, political, economic and other events. In this book, audience understands well the impact of events such as revolutions on all social levels of a country and even other countries. Most of the time, when you hear words like revolution, only a political concept comes to mind, but the reality is that it affects people more than we think. It really changes the real course of people life, and ultimately make them something else.
The narrator describes the events of the Iranian Revolution of 1957 under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini point by point. Events such as the occupation of the US embassy and the hostage-taking of American diplomats and the impact that this has had on the Iranian people and society for decades, international relations, etc., are well illustrated. Another highlight of this book is the Iran-Iraq war. A war that lasted eight years and all the economic infrastructure and it destroyed both countries. In addition to all these social and political events, the narrator also deals with her own family story.The audience understands well the suffering caused by migration, revolution, etc.
The characters in the book are real. Characters whose unpredictable events change everything. These events cause them to peel, just like worms that cocoon around themselves, but eventually a beautiful butterfly emerges from that cold, dark cocoon and flies away. All these events cause the audience to feel sympathy for the characters in the book.
A truly thought-provoking, emotional memoir, We are "others" is a compelling look inside the borders of Iran and the lives of a family forced to leave it behind, and a commentary on how the actions and aspirations of greedy politicians affect the lives of the people they are meant to serve.
Eventually the audience comes to a conclusion. A result that may give a new look to the world, and at least the author has tried to show the audience a new world. A new, different world
