I Hid My Voice - Paperback

by Parinoush Saniee (Author), Sanam Kalantari (Translator)

From the international bestselling author of The Book of Fate comes the story, based on real events, of a four-year-old boy who cannot speak and the shame it brings upon his family in modern-day Iran.

Four-year-old Shahaab has not started talking. The family doctor believes there is no cause for concern; nevertheless, Shahaab is ridiculed by others who call him "dumb." Young Shahaab doesn't understand what the word means and thinks it is a compliment, until one day his cousin plays a trick on him to prove to everyone that the boy truly is the neighbourhood idiot.

When his mother recounts the incident to her husband, Shahaab is crushed to learn that his father also thinks the boy's speech impediment indicates that his son is an idiot and thus brings shame on the family. He begins to lash out, taking childish revenge on those around him, encouraged by his two imaginary friends, Esi and Bibi. No one in the family can understand Shahaab's wild behaviour except his maternal grandmother, who seems to possess the understanding and the kindness he so desperately craves. Their growing bond leads to a deep friendship in which Shahaab is able to experience some happiness and finally find his voice.

Author Biography

Parinoush Saniee is a sociologist and psychologist. She was formerly manager of the research department at the Supreme Coordination Council for Technical and Vocational Education in Iran. Her first novel, The Book of Fate, won the Boccaccio Prize in Italy, Euskadi de Plata Prize in the Basque Country, and was selected as one of World Literature Today's 75 Notable Translations of 2013. I Hid My Voice is her second novel that has been translated into English. Her other books are awaiting approval by the censorship board.