Mirrors of the Unseen

A fascinating journey through the cultural and artistic landscape of Iran, both past and present, by the New York Times– bestselling author of An Unexpected Light. In contemporary America, Iran is routinely depicted a "rogue nation." But the rhetoric about nuclear weapons and jihad obscures the real Iran: an ancient nation and culture, both sophisticated and isolated, which still exists clandestinely in major cities as well as the country's remote mountains and deserts. After spending four years traveling across Iran, Jason Elliot now reveals the many sides of the culture, art, architecture, and people that Westerners never see or conveniently ignore. Part close reading of symbols and images, part history, and part intimate interviews with Iranians of many different kinds—from wealthy aristocrats at forbidden parties to tribal horsemen in remote villages who have never seen a Westerner— Mirrors of the Unseen is a beautiful and thought-provoking book by one of the world's most acclaimed adventurers and authors.