Dalia Sofer was born in Iran and fled at the age of ten to the United States with her family. She is the recipient of a Whiting Writers' Award and has been a resident at Yaddo. A graduate of the MFA program at Sarah Lawrence College, she lives in New York City.
"A remarkable debut...richly evocative, powerfully affecting...as beautiful and delicate as a book about suffering can be." -- Claire Messud, New York Times Book Review"Dalia Sofer's debut novel marks itself out as extraordinary...an impressive debut." -- Wall Street Journal"First time novelist Dalia Sofer does the House of Sand and Fog one better by weaving a story from four perspectives, offering a unique glimpse into the emotional fallout from political upheaval and what it's like to know you're about to lose everything." -- Marie Claire"Sofer successfully uses the rich details of a sense-saturated country to emphasize how alone her characters feel despite an appearance of family and comfort...as Sofer elegantly demonstrates in this novel...the true survivor is one who learns to preserve his identity." -- The Jewish Daily Forward"The same seems true about talent, which Sofer clearly possesses in abundance." -- Chicago Tribune "[A] gripping first novel...Sofer's prose is lyrical and sometimes haunting." -- Miami Herald"In her gripping debut novel...Sofer creates a page-turner that leaves you wanting to know more." -- Philadelphia Inquirer"...her elegant prose works magic...Sofer perfectly captures Iran's transition to theocratic republic." -- Financial Times"...brave and humane first novel... exquisite and profoundly moving." -- Weekly Standard"Gripping work...a powerful story honestly told." -- Christian Science Monitor"The pages of her debut novel...radiate rich, evocative, often painful details of her homeland." -- Interview"[A] psychologically resonant debut." -- Vogue"A powerful, timely book." Grade: A- -- Rocky Mountain News"A melancholic and tender tale, told with elegance, judgment and discrimination." -- Shelf Awareness"Interest in Iran isn't going away, and Sofer's angle is bound to entice readers...a natural for book clubs." -- New York magazine"As intelligent as it is gripping." -- Kirkus Reviews"Nicely layered, the story shimmers with past secrets and hidden motivations." -- Publishers Weekly (lead review)"This is a story that needs to be told...timely and ripe for discussion." -- Library Journal (starred review)"Stunning--beautiful, tragic, layered, and thought-provoking." -- Lisa See, bestselling author of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan"That this beautiful novel is a debut seems almost impossible . . . a remarkable emotional and intellectual achievement." -- Dani Shapiro, author of Black & White"One of the most beautiful first novels I've ever come across. It is a rare book." -- Vendela Vida, author of Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name"Spare and deeply felt-Sofer's prose shines with life and compassion." -- Alison Smith, author of Name All the Animals"[A] beautiful novel--rich and exact in its depictions of one family's ordeal in Iran after the Shah." -- Joan Silber, author of Ideas of Heaven and Household Words"...beautifully written book suffused with human suffering and the longing for love and belonging..." -- World Magazine"...finely wrought...this novel captures in riveting images the prelude to the exodus of Iranian Jews." -- Reform Judaism
In Sofer's debut novel, Isaac Amin, a Jewish businessman in Tehran, is imprisoned following the Iranian Revolution. As Amin attempts to survive his brutal treatment and convince his captors that he is not a Zionist spy, his wife, young daughter, and son (a college student in New York City) find various ways to cope with the radical change in their way of life and the knowledge that they may never see Amin again. This is a story that needs to be told, as a reminder of how political and religious ideologies can destroy individuals, families, and societies. Yet the Amins are not portrayed as innocent victims but flawed human beings who closed their eyes to the injustices of the monarchy under which they benefited. The family and political issues raised in the book are timely and ripe for discussion; this should be a popular book club choice. Recommended for all public libraries.-Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, Univ. of Minnesota Libs., Minneapolis Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
"A remarkable debut...richly evocative, powerfully affecting...as beautiful and delicate as a book about suffering can be." -- Claire Messud, New York Times Book Review"Dalia Sofer's debut novel marks itself out as extraordinary...an impressive debut." -- Wall Street Journal"First time novelist Dalia Sofer does the House of Sand and Fog one better by weaving a story from four perspectives, offering a unique glimpse into the emotional fallout from political upheaval and what it's like to know you're about to lose everything." -- Marie Claire"Sofer successfully uses the rich details of a sense-saturated country to emphasize how alone her characters feel despite an appearance of family and comfort...as Sofer elegantly demonstrates in this novel...the true survivor is one who learns to preserve his identity." -- The Jewish Daily Forward"The same seems true about talent, which Sofer clearly possesses in abundance." -- Chicago Tribune "[A] gripping first novel...Sofer's prose is lyrical and sometimes haunting." -- Miami Herald"In her gripping debut novel...Sofer creates a page-turner that leaves you wanting to know more." -- Philadelphia Inquirer"...her elegant prose works magic...Sofer perfectly captures Iran's transition to theocratic republic." -- Financial Times"...brave and humane first novel... exquisite and profoundly moving." -- Weekly Standard"Gripping work...a powerful story honestly told." -- Christian Science Monitor"The pages of her debut novel...radiate rich, evocative, often painful details of her homeland." -- Interview"[A] psychologically resonant debut." -- Vogue"A powerful, timely book." Grade: A- -- Rocky Mountain News"A melancholic and tender tale, told with elegance, judgment and discrimination." -- Shelf Awareness"Interest in Iran isn't going away, and Sofer's angle is bound to entice readers...a natural for book clubs." -- New York magazine"As intelligent as it is gripping." -- Kirkus Reviews"Nicely layered, the story shimmers with past secrets and hidden motivations." -- Publishers Weekly (lead review)"This is a story that needs to be told...timely and ripe for discussion." -- Library Journal (starred review)"Stunning--beautiful, tragic, layered, and thought-provoking." -- Lisa See, bestselling author of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan"That this beautiful novel is a debut seems almost impossible . . . a remarkable emotional and intellectual achievement." -- Dani Shapiro, author of Black & White"One of the most beautiful first novels I've ever come across. It is a rare book." -- Vendela Vida, author of Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name"Spare and deeply felt-Sofer's prose shines with life and compassion." -- Alison Smith, author of Name All the Animals"[A] beautiful novel--rich and exact in its depictions of one family's ordeal in Iran after the Shah." -- Joan Silber, author of Ideas of Heaven and Household Words"...beautifully written book suffused with human suffering and the longing for love and belonging..." -- World Magazine"...finely wrought...this novel captures in riveting images the prelude to the exodus of Iranian Jews." -- Reform Judaism
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