Product Description

The unique culture of Iran and the sweep of its history are revealed in this evocative travelogue of an American family searching for a lost friend in the country of their youth.

Growing up in Tehran in the 1960s, Terence Ward and his brothers were watched over by Hassan, the family’s cook, housekeeper, and cultural guide. After an absence of forty years, Ward embarked on a pilgrimage with his family in search of Hassan. Taking us across the landscape of Iran, he plumbs its unimaginably rich past, explores its deep conflicts with its Arab neighbors, and anticipates the new “Great Game” now being played out in central Asia. Insightful, informative, and moving, Searching for Hassan enhances our understanding of the Middle East with the story of a family who came to love and admire Iran through their deep affection for its people.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #100252 in Books
• Published on: 2003-03-04
• Released on: 2003-03-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781400032235
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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From Publishers Weekly
A U.S. State Department warning is usually enough to deter most Americans from traveling to countries in turmoil. But when the mission of the trip was to find a long-lost Iranian named Hassan, not even the inability to obtain visas in the U.S. could stop the Ward family. In 1998, Ward, his parents and three brothers returned to Iran to track down Hassan, a warm, thick-mustached chef and dispenser of folk wisdom who had looked after their family when they lived in Tehran during the 1960s. Ward skillfully draws readers into his family's state of heightened anticipation, especially since their only tip was the vaguely remembered name of Hassan's hometown. "Toodesht," Ward's mother remembered. "Well, just a minute.... Maybe it was... Tadoosht. Or... Qashtood." Aided by a 30-year-old photograph, the Wards traveled to Tudeshk and eventually found Hassan's mother-in-law, and later, Hassan's wife, Fatimeh, who is so taken aback that she dropped the receiver. Using the trip as his main narrative thread, Ward weaves Iranian history, culture, politics and religion in and around it. The writing stiffens and the pace slows only when Ward reaches back to describe his childhood in Tehran. Ultimately, Ward, a Colorado-based management consultant, succeeds in his loving portrait of a constantly changing, complex land.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Adult/High School-In a prologue set in Tehran in the 1960s, Ward relates how he and his brothers were initiated by the wise Hassan into the mysteries of the Zoroastrian fire festival. But these boys, who so wholeheartedly absorbed their mentor's teachings, were not Iranians but Americans. Returning to the United States, their parents lost touch with Hassan. Iran went through an Islamic revolution, a devastating war with Iraq, and finally another reform movement; the boys grew up and their parents grew older. Yet they never stopped missing Hassan and his family. In 1998, when Iran once more began to admit Westerners, the whole family-four grown men and their now-elderly parents-went back to search for their old friends. Miraculously they did find Hassan-but this is just one aspect of the story. Readers will feel a part of the family, learning how the strengths of each individual contributed to the success of the quest, and the journey is described to striking visual effect, conveying a passion for every experience. As the author reflects on the history, politics, and religion of the country, complex cultural issues become understandable in the light of real human lives. The spiritual lessons learned from Hassan, and new ones gained from new acquaintances, carry the Wards forward as they learn to "look beyond the predicament of politics" to find the "timeless, immutable soul of Iran." An illuminating and fascinating adventure.

Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Ward was born in Colorado but spent his childhood in Iran, where his father was an economic adviser. When the Wards returned to the United States in 1969, they lost track of Hassan Ghasemi, a family friend who had played the role of "Persian father" to Ward and his brothers. The aftermath of the Iranian revolution hindered attempts to find Hassan, but after the lessening of international tensions in 1998, the Ward clan traveled back to Iran in search of Hassan and his family. In a powerful memoir that plumbs the depths of Iranian culture and tradition, Ward describes a memorable journey through a country few Americans know or understand. His Iran is the land of contrasts, where mystics double as city taxi drivers while nomadic tribesmen roam the desert highlands. Here the poetry of Hafez is as well known as the words of the Koran, Zoroastrian festivals are as common as Islamic holy days, and the glories of past Persia are forever linked with the country's future. Echoing the experience of the man whose background in cross-cultural communication has earned him consulting jobs with companies throughout the Middle East, this debut is remarkable for its vivid prose and depth of information. A valuable addition to any library. Mary V. Welk, Chicago

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Absolutely beautiful!
I didn't know too much about this book when I picked it up, but judging by its cover I thought it would be a quest in search of Hassan. The title, however, is a little misleading, the book is a far richer spiritual journey, breathing life into the past with a depth and richness rarely seen. I'd call the book a "hard" read for the average reader, not because the language is difficult, but because it is such a rich piece of work that you simply can not rush through it. So rich, in fact, that you have to absorb bits at a time and let it sink in. This is a gorgeous recollection by Terence Ward and is about him and his 3 brothers and parents, as they return to Iran during a time when it was not so safe for travelling foreigners, to rediscover a part of their childhood and past. The Wards have not been back to Iran since the 1960's and this adventure takes place around about 1998. The Ward family travels to desinations near and far and the prose that Ward uses to describe the terrain and people, and to also weave their past back into the story is nothing short of breathtaking. He is truly a gifted writer with a special talent for capturing moments and people and experiences, managing to flawlessly translate them into colorful prose. Searching for Hassan comes to fruition towards the end of the book, and is a beautiful story in and of itself. But I highly reccommend this book as a informative source on culture and history. I do agree with the other reviewers that the political outlook is skewed--thsi is not a better future for Iranians. The Shah might have been cruel and greedy, BUT the regime that followed was and is a classic example of "out of the frying pan and into the FIRE." One cannot help but to think that maybe Mr. Ward was influenced to write kindly about the current political regime...but read the other reviews for a deeper analysis of that as one reviewer pegs it completely, explaining all about LA Iranians and their persecution, etc. Other than the soft political views, this is actually a great piece of work---and kudos to Mr. Ward for being such an amazing man and sharing the wonderful story of his journey with his family to Iran, and bringing it all to life so movingly. His knowledge of Persian culture and history by far outrivals most of his peers. Thank you Mr. Ward!

A Fascinating Journey
The Ward Family's almost quixotic journey back to Iran to find their former housekeeper is the background to what, in many respects, is a primer on Iranian history. For me, the actual search for Hassan was a subtext to the more interesting historical and religious insights offered by the author into Islam, Iranian history and culture. At times, the book is a bit unbalanced, and anti-Western in sentiment. But, I recommend it to anyone who (like me) knows very little about Iran and its history and culture.

beautiful book
Searching for Hassan is a beautifully written book that should be read by everyone interested in humanity and the ties that bind us all. I wish this book had gotten more press...readers of every age will enjoy this story.