Kader Abdolah is an Iranian Dutch author whose work is not very well known in the United States, but discovering him was a rewarding experience. I would encourage you to get his two books translated into English: My Father’s Notebook: A Novel of Iran and, above all, The House of the Mosque. The house near the mosque in Senejan, Iran, has been owned by the same family for eight centuries. Sons of the family have become imams for the mosque, and other sons have been prominent citizens engaged in commerce. The novel begins in 1969 with the story of one successful member of the family, Aqa Jaan. He is a respected and rich merchant in the town and he would like Shahbal, one of his grand-nephews, to follow in his footsteps. Abdolah’s books give us an intriguing glimpse at Iranian life and people who complicate and enrich our perception of that country.