Unveiled: One Woman's Nightmare in Iran

Although born in Iran, Mosteshar, a journalist who has worked as a correspondent for leading British periodicals, was educated at Oxford. On periodic visits to her homeland, she lived as a member of Iran's wealthy elite until the Shah was overthrown in 1979. This anecdotal and somewhat disjointed memoir describes the changes that took place after the religious revolution, both in her personal life and in the lives of Iranian women. Initially sympathetic to the goal of revolutionary forces to address the needs of the poor, Mosteshar became disillusioned when her father was called a CIA agent, her personal fortune was confiscated and women's civil rights were stripped away. For reasons the author does not make clear, she married a poor Iranian who stole her money, raped her and lied about his divorce from his first wife, whom Mosteshar supported financially. After much hardship, she escaped from this relationship and now lives in England, fearing retribution should she return to Iran. Photos not seen by PW. (Mar.)