Introduction

The story follows two Iranian women named Ghazal and Sepideh.

Ghazal is a gifted computer science student who’s trapped under her father’s iron control and traditional world view. He’s not above corporal punishment and even putting on makeup is a crime at home.

Sepideh is a bold social media influencer who refuses to bow to anyone. She lives loud, fearless, and free. Her family is more liberal and pretty much leave her to lead the life she wants.

When Ghazal and Sepideh meet at a wedding, things start to get complicated. What begins as friendship ignites into something much more, which exposes them to Ghazal’s father’s fury and places them on the wrong side of the law.

The length of the book is 73500 words.

Pronunciation Guide

Click on each name below to hear the pronunciation. For characters, there’s also personality / voice pointers next to their names.

Characters

• Bahram: Serious, mature.
• Cyrus the Greatest: gentle, smart, eloquent, sounds like Randall Park.
• DJ Amir: Friendly, kind, outgoing. Speaks confidently and kind fast.
• Dowlati (Mr.): nosy, creepy, condescending.
• Farzad: (has no dialog)
• Ghazal Ghaffari: shy, quiet, but secretly passionate (can suddenly burst with energy if she gets excited in comfortable company). Inside her head, she’s snarky.
• Ghazal’s dad (Hamid): rough, angry, authoritative.
• Ghazal’s mom: motherly, submissive, speaks slowly and quietly.
• Ehsan Fakhrabadi: arrogant, know-it-all, acts charming.
• Elmira Khodaverdi: no-nonsense, confrontational, strong.
• Kawan Mohseni: gentle, warm, kind. We can use British accent for him.
• Kawan’s mom: Reserved, warm. We can use British accent for her too.
• Matin: Pain in the ass, loves pulling Ghazal’s leg, confident.
• Maryam (Ghazal’s aunt): (has no dialog)
• Mohammad: condescending, speaks with street accent.
• Seyyed Mohsen Fakhrabadi: calm, calculating, a psychopath.
• Omid: (has no dialog)
• Parisa: self-centered, mean girl energy.
• Pouyan Sabet: arrogant, self-serving, confident, takes nothing seriously.
• Razieh: (has no dialog)
• Sepideh Namdarian: smart, confident, full of energy, dominant personality.
• Sepideh’s dad: wants to sound authoritative, but he’s just a teddy bear.
• Sepideh’s mom: intelligent, sophisticated, kind.
• Shopkeeper (where they find shelter): rough exterior, heart of gold, hoarse voice.

Locations

• Enghelab
• Milad (Tower)
• Taleghani (Hospital)
• Theatr-e Shahr
• Vali-e Asr

Persian Calendar Months

• Farvardin
• Ordibehesht
• Khordad
• Tir
• Mordad
• Shahrivar
• Mehr
• Aban
• Azar
• Dey
• Bahman
• Esfand

Miscellaneous

• Azizam
• Basij
• Chador
• Diyat
• Hafez
• Ferdowsi
• Khamenei
• Shahnameh
• Yalda

Acknowledgments

• Elham Modaressi
• Fatemeh Khoshrou
• Hadis Najafi
• Kosar Eftekhari
• Sadaf Baghbani
• Yalda Aghafazli
• Azadeh Afsahi
• Shahrzad Orang
• Majid Hatamian

References

• Hananeh Kia
• Mahsa (Jina) Amini
• Nika Shakarami
• Sarina Esmailzadeh

Song Sequences

There are a few song in this book. I thought a lot about how to execute them, and considering they are real Persian songs, their translated version won’t work over the original melody. So, I think it’s best if we go with a different approach:

Cadence over melody: Do not sing the songs melodically. Instead, treat all lyrics as heightened, rhythmic speech. Imagine there is an invisible pulse or a heartbeat driving the words.

The “aura” shift: For lyrics, use more “breath” and a focused, resonant tone, so the listener hears an audible shift in the narrative. Less grounded / conversational than the normal character tone.

Respect the interruptions: The narrative often cuts into the songs with physical sensations. Do not let the “song rhythm” bleed into the prose. The prose should act as a “reality check” that breaks the trance of the music.

Emotional scaling: The volume and intensity of the song lines should mirror the physical setting:

• In public (e.g. the protest): Start small and build to an anthemic, forceful chant.
• In private (e.g. prison cell): Deliver them as a somber, internal mantra—almost like a prayer.

The “translation” pause: Allow for a tiny “micro-beat” of silence before and after a song stanza. This provides the listener a mental “bracket” to recognize that we have moved from narrative into the lyrics of an anthem.

Example: Protest Scene

Here is a specific example, for the protest scene (Crimson Cry).

1. The “vocal arc” (solo to surge)

• Ghazal’s first line: Start with a vulnerable “stage whisper” or a melodic lilt. It shouldn’t be a full song, but a rhythmic, breathy declaration that feels like a secret being told in public.
• The build: With each new stanza, increase the volume and the “chest voice.” By the time the crowd joins, the delivery of the lyrics should be Anthemic (spoken with a heavy, percussive pulse that matches the “stamping feet”).

2. The “switch” (lyrics vs. prose)

• Lyrics: Use a rhythmic, steady cadence. Imagine a metronome is clicking in the background.
• Prose (action): Immediately drop the rhythm and return to a grounded, observant, and increasingly tense “POV voice.” The prose is the reality; the song is the trance.

3. The “sonic environment”

• The squeeze/the glance: Whenever the text describes a physical touch (Ghazal squeezing a hand), take a micro-pause. Let the listener feel the intimacy before the next line of the anthem.
• The interruption: The final lyrics should be delivered with maximum defiance, only to be abruptly cut off by the prose describing the gunfire. There should be no “fade out” (just a sharp, violent transition into the chaos of the retreat).