Zan

This resonant debut collection by Iranian American writer Ehtesham-Zadeh illuminates experiences of women in the Iranian diaspora. In “The Baboon,” Roya brings her American husband to Iran, where they visit her grandfather, who gives her husband opium and tells the story of a violent baboon gifted to the family years earlier, which allegedly kept coming back to life to terrorize them after they killed it. In “Venus Furtiva,” a young Iranian American woman performs in Atlanta burlesque shows wearing a Qashqai tribal costume. She feels empowered in her body yet disappointed by the silent and somber reception: “How many members of that audience, she wondered, would use her number to reinforce their belief that it sucked to be a Muslim woman?” In “Ghabeleh Hamleh,” a young refugee accepts a tent at a displaced person’s camp in Greece, where the crowded settlement’s chauvinistic organizers prioritize the safety of women over men and even young children, prompting her to invite a 10-year-old boy to join her. In each story, Ehtesham-Zadeh incisively portrays how her characters grapple with the ways in which they’re perceived or expected to behave based on their culture and gender. This is worth a look. (June)