"A lavish taste of Persian culture and cuisine . . . [A] compelling, poignant and most delectable book." — BookPageFor Donia Bijan's family, food has been the language they use to tell their stories and to communicate their love. In 1978, when the Islamic revolution in Iran threatened their safety, they fled to California's Bay Area, where the familiar flavors of Bijan's mother's cooking formed a bridge to the life they left behind. Now, t...

Set against the backdrop of Iran's rich, turbulent history, this exquisite debut novel is a powerful story of food, family, and a bittersweet homecoming."A glorious treat awaits you at the literary table of Donia Bijan." — New York Times –bestselling author Adriana TrigianiWhen we first meet Noor, she is living in San Francisco, missing her beloved father, Zod, in Iran. Now, dragging her stubborn t...

Set against the backdrop of Iran's rich, turbulent history, this exquisite debut novel is a powerful story of food, family, and a bittersweet homecoming. When we first meet Noor, she is living in San Francisco, missing her beloved father, Zod, in Iran. Now, dragging her stubborn teenage daughter, Lily, with her, she returns to Tehran and to Café Leila, the restaurant her family has been running for three generations. Iran may have changed, but Café Leila, still run by Zod, has stayed bless...

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2025SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOLLINGER EVERYMAN WODEHOUSE PRIZE 2025‘Enormously entertaining’ THE TIMES‘Unputdownable’ HARPER'S BAZAAR‘Funny, sharp and insightful … a triumph’ LAUREN LAVERNE‘Magnificent’ BERNARDINE EVARISTOFive women. Three generations. A whole lot of family ...

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR FICTION and THE BOLLINGER EVERYMAN WODEHOUSE PRIZEFive women from a once-illustrious Iranian family grapple with change—both personal and in the world around them—in this “whip-smart…huge-hearted, and sharp-toothed…joy of a debut” (David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas) novel that’s perfect for book clubs.“As funny as it is moving.” —THE GUARDIAN * “Unputdownable.” —HARPER’...