Like the Wind I Go: A memoir of Iran, America, my struggle to freedom

"Like the Wind I Go" is a sweeping memoir about identity and independence, as a young man grapples with his burgeoning adulthood and an ancient empire faces its final hours of existence. It’s 1978, and Iran is swept up in a revolutionary fever. Still in college, author Vahid Imani remains cautious, even as his friends and family celebrate a new vision for the country. The people demand democracy, but is that what awaits them? Then, a mysterious tragedy. Vahid stumbles upon the corpse of his missing neighbor, hanging from the beams of his warehouse. He’s just one of many acquaintances to have recently died or disappeared, without explanation. For Vahid, the siren’s song of the West grows stronger, and he dreams of a life free from paranoia and limitation. The desire to escape his deteriorating homeland becomes an obsession, even as his family accuses him of forgetting his roots and his girlfriend questions if he will choose liberty, over love. But the shadow of oppression is swallowing Iran, and Vahid knows that his dream of starting anew in a foreign land grows fainter every day. Caught in the grip of culture, duty, and devotion, it seems there is no way out. Read more