Razan, Iran

Razan is an important setting in the novel because it is where the majority of the novel’s events take place. In contrast to the large city of Tehran, Razan is a much smaller and more isolated location. This isolation is exactly what draws Bahar’s family to the town, as they feel it puts a safe distance between themselves and the violence set off by the revolution. Hushang is so determined to preserve this isolation that when rebuilding the town, he makes a point of not building any roads for the fact that they would lead Razan to the city, or vice versa. Nonetheless, Iran’s violent political climate does eventually reach Razan once the men in the town are recruited to fight in the war. Razan undergoes changes that end up leaving it unrecognizable to Bahar and her family. Forests are chopped down, graves are...