Searching for Hassan: An American Family's Journey Home to Iran [Hardcover]

Terence Ward (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 16, 2002

In 1998 Terence Ward and his family set out on a long-awaited pilgrimage back home -- to the Islamic Republic of Iran, where they lived in the 1960s. Since the fall of the Shah, the country and their past had been effectively sealed off behind a veil of secrecy, and contact with one dear friend in particular, Hassan, had ceased. But memories of life in this emigmatic land -- of cherry orchards and Zoroastrian fire festivals, of the snow-capped Elburz Mountains and Hassan's magical fables--inspired the Wards to return.
SEARCHING FOR HASSAN is the wondrous and touching story of the Wards' quixotic journey, ultimately rewarded by an emotional reunion with their lost friend. They travel into an unimaginably rich Persian past, to the very origins of civilization, and across the landscape of contemporary Iran, a surreal kaleidoscope of ancient traditions and Western pop culture. Ward creates a vivid portrait of Islam's unique imprint and explores the deep conflicts between Iran and its Arab neighbors, anticipating the new "Great Game" now being played out in central Asia.
Ward's keen knowledge of Iranian culture and history, infused with the urgency of his personal journey, reveals a country that is both wildly alien and inextricably linked to the American imagination.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A U.S. State Department warning is usually enough to deter most Americans from traveling to countries in turmoil. But when the mission of the trip was to find a long-lost Iranian named Hassan, not even the inability to obtain visas in the U.S. could stop the Ward family. In 1998, Ward, his parents and three brothers returned to Iran to track down Hassan, a warm, thick-mustached chef and dispenser of folk wisdom who had looked after their family when they lived in Tehran during the 1960s. Ward skillfully draws readers into his family's state of heightened anticipation, especially since their only tip was the vaguely remembered name of Hassan's hometown. "Toodesht," Ward's mother remembered. "Well, just a minute.... Maybe it was... Tadoosht. Or... Qashtood." Aided by a 30-year-old photograph, the Wards traveled to Tudeshk and eventually found Hassan's mother-in-law, and later, Hassan's wife, Fatimeh, who is so taken aback that she dropped the receiver. Using the trip as his main narrative thread, Ward weaves Iranian history, culture, politics and religion in and around it. The writing stiffens and the pace slows only when Ward reaches back to describe his childhood in Tehran. Ultimately, Ward, a Colorado-based management consultant, succeeds in his loving portrait of a constantly changing, complex land.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-In a prologue set in Tehran in the 1960s, Ward relates how he and his brothers were initiated by the wise Hassan into the mysteries of the Zoroastrian fire festival. But these boys, who so wholeheartedly absorbed their mentor's teachings, were not Iranians but Americans. Returning to the United States, their parents lost touch with Hassan. Iran went through an Islamic revolution, a devastating war with Iraq, and finally another reform movement; the boys grew up and their parents grew older. Yet they never stopped missing Hassan and his family. In 1998, when Iran once more began to admit Westerners, the whole family-four grown men and their now-elderly parents-went back to search for their old friends. Miraculously they did find Hassan-but this is just one aspect of the story. Readers will feel a part of the family, learning how the strengths of each individual contributed to the success of the quest, and the journey is described to striking visual effect, conveying a passion for every experience. As the author reflects on the history, politics, and religion of the country, complex cultural issues become understandable in the light of real human lives. The spiritual lessons learned from Hassan, and new ones gained from new acquaintances, carry the Wards forward as they learn to "look beyond the predicament of politics" to find the "timeless, immutable soul of Iran." An illuminating and fascinating adventure.

Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; None edition (January 16, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618048448
• ISBN-13: 978-0618048441
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,365,042 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #48 in Books > Travel > Middle East > Iran

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely beautiful!, February 19, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Searching for Hassan: A Journey to the Heart of Iran (Paperback)

I didn't know too much about this book when I picked it up, but judging by its cover I thought it would be a quest in search of Hassan. The title, however, is a little misleading, the book is a far richer spiritual journey, breathing life into the past with a depth and richness rarely seen. I'd call the book a "hard" read for the average reader, not because the language is difficult, but because it is such a rich piece of work that you simply can not rush through it. So rich, in fact, that you have to absorb bits at a time and let it sink in. This is a gorgeous recollection by Terence Ward and is about him and his 3 brothers and parents, as they return to Iran during a time when it was not so safe for travelling foreigners, to rediscover a part of their childhood and past. The Wards have not been back to Iran since the 1960's and this adventure takes place around about 1998. The Ward family travels to desinations near and far and the prose that Ward uses to describe the terrain and people, and to also weave their past back into the story is nothing short of breathtaking. He is truly a gifted writer with a special talent for capturing moments and people and experiences, managing to flawlessly translate them into colorful prose. Searching for Hassan comes to fruition towards the end of the book, and is a beautiful story in and of itself. But I highly reccommend this book as a informative source on culture and history. I do agree with the other reviewers that the political outlook is skewed--thsi is not a better future for Iranians. The Shah might have been cruel and greedy, BUT the regime that followed was and is a classic example of "out of the frying pan and into the FIRE." One cannot help but to think that maybe Mr. Ward was influenced to write kindly about the current political regime...but read the other reviews for a deeper analysis of that as one reviewer pegs it completely, explaining all about LA Iranians and their persecution, etc. Other than the soft political views, this is actually a great piece of work---and kudos to Mr. Ward for being such an amazing man and sharing the wonderful story of his journey with his family to Iran, and bringing it all to life so movingly. His knowledge of Persian culture and history by far outrivals most of his peers. Thank you Mr. Ward!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Journey, February 13, 2002

By 

"j_heasley" (Erie, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Searching for Hassan: An American Family's Journey Home to Iran (Hardcover)

The Ward Family's almost quixotic journey back to Iran to find their former housekeeper is the background to what, in many respects, is a primer on Iranian history. For me, the actual search for Hassan was a subtext to the more interesting historical and religious insights offered by the author into Islam, Iranian history and culture. At times, the book is a bit unbalanced, and anti-Western in sentiment. But, I recommend it to anyone who (like me) knows very little about Iran and its history and culture.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars beautiful book, November 26, 2004

By 

Firoozeh Dumas (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Searching for Hassan: A Journey to the Heart of Iran (Paperback)

Searching for Hassan is a beautifully written book that should be read by everyone interested in humanity and the ties that bind us all. I wish this book had gotten more press...readers of every age will enjoy this story.