Dorna

Based on a true story, in the 1940s, during the occupation of Iranian Azerbaijan by the savage and brutal soldiers of the Soviet's Red Army, Dorna, a girl of unmatched beauty from a very wealthy family, is forced to marry a rich but sadistic and abusive man. Nevertheless, Dorna, a prodigy and an artist, who unleashes her feminine sensitivity and sensuality while telling her story, remains in love with an astoundingly handsome young painter and violinist. In her narrative, Dorna captures the mood of her time, exploring the complexities, tense moral fiber, and strength of Iranian women. In this way, she pulls her readers into her life story. Dorna's narrative challenges the patriarchal limitations of traditional Middle Eastern societies of the 1940s and beyond. Dorna's father, a patriot, an activist, and a leader of an anti-occupation movement, is her hero, but he is also the person who unintentionally crushes all her dreams. There is also her beloved brother, who loses his family's wealth at the gambling table. In addition, the reader will be pulled into the lives of several other distinctive characters: Dorna's mother, who begs Dorna's father not to force their daughter to marry a degenerate; Dorna's atrocious mother-in-law, who controls her every move; and her best friend, who frames her for a heinous crime.

Dorna is an absorbing, multi-dimensional life story. The reader is immersed in Dorna's journey from youth onward and will be introduced to Persian culture, customs, literature, traditions, and history by a writer who knows it all and has lived it firsthand. On every page of this exciting, captivating novel, the reader grapples with Dorna's dilemmas and challenges alongside her.