One Woman’s Deadly Journey Through Revolutionary Iran (1970s)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chicago, IL –
The idea for award-winning author Libby Fischer Hellmann’s latest novel
was somewhat of an accident. During a conversation with a friend, Libby
mentioned she was drawn to stories of women whose choices have been
taken away from them, and had wondered: Do they simply surrender and
become victims, or do some survive and even triumph? It was then that
she recalled a personal story told to her years before– about young
lovers who become trapped by history, family, and the inherent conflict
of a political and cultural revolution. Thus the idea was born for her
latest book, A Bitter Veil (Allium Press of Chicago).
Grounded
in extensive research, the story’s backdrop is the Iranian Revolution –
one of the most documented periods of world history. After poring
through dozens of documents, articles and films, and interviewing at
least five Iranian-Americans who lived in Iran during the revolution,
their experiences made it possible for Libby to tell ‘Anna’s story.’ The
result is a compelling and convincing tale, seasoned with powerful
characters, that grabs the reader from the first page and thrusts them
into one woman’s worst nightmare – making for a read not easy to put
down.
It all began with a line of Persian poetry…Anna and
Nouri, both studying in Chicago, fall in love despite their very
different backgrounds. Never really close to her parents, Anna is happy
to return with Nouri to his native Iran, to be embraced by his wealthy
family. Beginning their married life together in 1978, their world is
abruptly turned upside down by the overthrow of the Shah, and the rise
of the Islamic Republic.
Under the Ayatollah Khomeini and the
Republican Guard, life becomes increasingly restricted and Anna must
learn to exist in a transformed world, where none of the familiar
Western rules
Random arrests and torture become the norm, women are required to wear
hijab, and Anna discovers that she is no longer free to leave the
country. As events reach a fevered pitch, Anna realizes that nothing is
as she thought and no one can be trusted…not even her husband.
A
Bitter Veil is both a tragically beautiful love story and a spellbinding
political thriller. Fast-moving to its unpredictable end, this
well-written account shows how the chaos and destruction of a revolution
can cause human beings to act in extreme ways. This award-winning
author gives an accurate perspective of what people in that time and
place endured, particularly women.
With ten novels and twenty
short stories published, Libby has written thrillers, suspense mysteries
and historicals – all with a crime or the possibility of one at their
core. The more political the better for Libby who, as a transplant from
Washington, DC where ‘dinner table gossip about the neighbors was
talking politics,’ claims she’s “writing her way around the genre.”
Libby
Fischer Hellmann has worked at NBC News in New York and Washington DC,
as well as the public affairs production arm of PBS, also in Washington.
She lives outside Chicago now, and when not writing, she conducts
speaker
Something fairly new for authors, Libby is at the forefront of the digital revolution with her new App www.bit.ly/PuQH7I
that gives readers access to her newsletter, excerpts from her books,
notice of upcoming events, and a great way to stay in touch with
“Everything Libby.” Available on Android and Apple devices. For more
information on this talented writer and her books, please also visit: libbyhellmann.com.
A Bitter Veil by Libby Fischer Hellmann
Allium Press Publishers
ISBN-10: 0983193819
ISBN-13: 978-0983193814
Available at fine bookstores, online outlets and author’s website
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Trish Stevens
Jillian M. Sachtleben
Ascot Media Group, Inc.
Office: (281) 333-3507
[email protected]
www.ascotmediagroup.com
