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| One Book Villanova 2009-2010 |
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The One Book Villanova selection for 2009-2010 is:
Rooftops of Tehran
by Mahbod Seraji
This stunning literary debut paints a vivid portrait of
growing up, discovering love, and awakening to the reality of life in a nation
on the verge of revolution in the 1970s. Rooftops of Tehran opens in a
middle-class neighborhood in Iran’s sprawling capital city. The rooftop of the
narrator’s house – the tallest in their alley − is the perfect spot for sleeping
on hot summer nights. It’s also the perfect location for stargazing, sneaking
cigarettes, talking about American movies, and confiding, analyzing and
agonizing through the typical trials of being a seventeen year-old boy,
including being in love. This is the spot from which the narrator quietly
watches his secret love, his beautiful next door neighbor Zari, promised since
birth to his friend and mentor, nicknamed Doctor, a man adored and respected by
the whole neighborhood. It is from this high perch that the narrator witnesses
the SAVAK's brutal hunt and arrest of Doctor and realizes the oppressiveness of
the regime under which he resides. And the rooftop is where the narrator and
Zari ultimately find quiet refuge in each other after the shock of Doctor’s
senseless faith ripples through their close-knit community and brings about
terrible, unexpected repercussions.
Plan to be involved:
One Book Villanova is a program
that spans the academic year. Check back for updates to the Special Events.
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About the Author
Mahbod started his professional career at Motorola and for most of the last
20 years, he has worked in senior level positions for companies such as Arthur
Andersen, Forum Corporation, DDI, PeopleSoft, Chiron and Juniper Networks.
Currently, he works as an independent management consultant and lives with his
wife in the San Francisco Bay area. He is an excellent and sought-after speaker,
and is often invited to teach executive development programs across the globe.
Mahbod also coaches executives and loves to teach and discuss cultural issues in
relation to managing business, and politics.
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