Funny in Farsi
A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America
In 1972, when
she was seven, Firoozeh Dumas and her family moved from Iran
to Southern California, arriving with no firsthand knowledge
of this country
beyond her father's glowing memories of his graduate school
years here. More
family soon followed, and the clan has been here ever since.
Funny in Farsi chronicles the American journey of Dumas's
wonderfully
engaging family: her engineer father, a sweetly
quixotic dreamer who first
sought riches on Bowling for Dollars and in Las Vegas, and later
lost his
job during the Iranian revolution; her elegant mother, who never
fully
mastered English (nor cared to); her uncle, who combated the effects
of
American fast food with an army of miraculous American weight-loss
gadgets;
and Firoozeh herself, who as a girl changed her name to Julie, and
who
encountered a second wave of culture shock when she met and married
a
Frenchman, becoming part of a one-couple melting pot.
In a series of deftly drawn scenes, we watch the family grapple
with
American English (hot dogs and hush puppies?-a complete mystery),
American
traditions (Thanksgiving turkey?-an even greater mystery, since
it tastes
like nothing), and American culture (Firoozeh's parents laugh uproariously
at Bob Hope on television, although they don't get the jokes even
when she
translates them into Farsi).
Above all, this is an unforgettable story of identity, discovery,
and the
power of family love. It is a book that will leave us all laughing-without
an accent.
PRAISE
"A humorous and introspective chronicle of a life filled with
love--of family, country, and heritage."-Jimmy Carter
"What's charming beyond the humor of this memoir is that it
remains
affectionate even in the weakest, most tenuous moments for the culture.
It's
the brilliance of true sophistication at work." - Los Angeles
Times
"Today, as Middle Easterners in the United States are subject
to racial profiling, stereotyping, and sometimes violence, this
book provides a valuable glimpse into the immigrant experiences
of one very entertaining family." - Library Journal
"...a hilarious collection of essays that dish up many sides
of the immigrant experience..."
San Jose Mercury News
"...remarkable tales of family resilience told with wry humor
shorn of sentimentality..." San Francisco Chronicle
"...a gentle life story by an author who clearly loves her
fellow man,
and who is dedicated to pointing out the deliciously absurd aspects
of both American
and Iranian culture; as such, it is a joyful success..." Newsday
"Warm and engaging" - Kirkus Review
Author Appearances
7/9/2003 7 pm Dutton's Brentwood 310-476-6263
11975 San Vicente Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90049
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