Growing Up in Iran [Paperback]

Alexander Malakhoff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 5, 2009

I lived in Iran between 1935 and 1956. The events that took place then changed the people of Iran and laid seeds for what is happening to the Middle East today. This book is about my experiences of these events. It is also a story the Iranian society viewed through the eyes of a Russian boy living in Iran when it began to transform itself. Iran is a land of vast deserts, majestic mountains and verdant valleys with rushing streams. Throughout its long history many people came to Iran. They all left their marks there. The Americans are new comers there. Iranians find them hard to understand. But perhaps someday the East and West cultures would meld and peace and tolerance would be established at last.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Although I grew up in a Russian family, in some respects I do consider myself a third generation Iranian. My grandfather came to Iran in 1905. My mother and his other two children were all born in Iran. And, in 1935 when I was three years old, my parents left Czechoslovakia, where I was born, and brought me to Iran. The years that I lived in Iran (1935-1956) were the years that propelled the country to the modern age and laid a foundation for what has been happening in the Middle East today.

Product Details

• Paperback: 388 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (June 5, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1434354040
• ISBN-13: 978-1434354044
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,849,654 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good and refreshing read, September 20, 2009

By 

Y. Yufik (Washington D.C.) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Growing Up in Iran (Paperback)

This book is a good and refreshing read. One could expect revelations about political struggles or Muslim culture in Iran but there is not much emphasis on either topic. A man in his sunset years returns to the days of his childhood and early adulthood, remembering them with warmth and fondness. A personal story is told vividly, often with soft humor and with patina of sadness. On the one hand, the story is highly unusual because a Russian boy and his Russian-speaking family end up living in rural Iran so the boy grows up learning Farsi as his primary language. On the other hand, except for some colorful details, the same or similar story could have occurred anywhere. That is, the reader can't help feeling that the business of growing up, even for a Russian boy in Iran, is much the same as for an American boy growing up in America. The commonalities are more significant and profound than the differences - the book doesn't force this conclusion but leaves it as, sort of, aftertaste. To me, this aftertaste was refreshing and even comforting.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Growing Up in Iran, February 13, 2010

By 

Visa - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Growing Up in Iran (Paperback)

Malakhoff is a contemporary Mark Twain! GROWING UP IN IRAN is a good read!
The book is well paced with the true adventures of a boy's growing up-years. The adventures are written with emotional impact, with humor, fright and love. The descriptions of Iran, its deserts, snow capped mountains, seas, animals, flowers and people make us think of an Aladdin Lamp Country.
The book is a cross between Mark Twain's TOM SAWYER and HUCKLEBERRY FINN and Greg Mortinson's THREE CUPS OF TEA and STONES INTO SCHOOLS. Wonderful adventures and a varaity of schools play a big part in this book.
Not only did we enjoy reading it to each other, but we're hoping to get the author to sign copies for our grandchildren. We're sure they will enjoy it too. It will broaden their ideas and will provide them with a perspective of a foreign culture, which is presently receiving much attention in the news.
Lois McAllester & Bob Reals