Searching for Sohrab

The novel Searching for Sohrab by Shawn Sharifpour chronicles a young boy's harrowing escape from post-revolutionary Iran during the early 1980s. Following the 1979 revolution, the protagonist, Sohrab, witnesses his country transition from a hopeful movement into a regime defined by tyranny, strict Islamic law, and a bloody war with Iraq. After a brush with school authorities puts him at risk of being drafted or arrested, Sohrab's father orchestrates a dangerous journey to smuggle his seventeen-year-old son across the border into Turkey. Guided by a brave trafficker named Haji, Sohrab endures an exhausting hours horseback ride and evades multiple military checkpoints where he narrowly escapes capture. The narrative concludes with Sohrab reaching Istanbul, where he reunites briefly with his father before being left to await the next step, a six-year stop in Sweden before the final, uncertain passage to America. Through these memories, the author highlights the profound sacrifices made by Iranian families to secure freedom and safety for their children.