Thank you to my amazingly supportive siblings, Ayesha, Irfan, and Kashie—wildly worthy doers of good, nurturers of dreams, and indispensable, lifelong companions. I think it’s time to say it: “This should please our mother.” Thank you to my many irreplaceable sisters for your love and unstinting support: Hema, Furby, Farah, Cake Pop Irmy, Haseeba, Uzmi, Yasmin, Semina, and Nozzie. Thank you to Ayesha and Nozzie especially for providing the early design of the “Run” image, on short and demanding notice. And to all my family and friends for the myriad ways you’ve encouraged me and spread the word about my books. Thank you to the great kids in my life who can be prevailed upon to attend book launches even in the dead of winter (Rachel especially thanks you). And thank you to Uncle Munir and Auntie Aira.
Thank you, Elizabeth, for being such a wise, brilliant, and helpful editor, and for letting me tell these stories. In these troubling times, your encouragement and support offer so much hope. Thank you also to Kelley, Hector, Brendan, David, Allison, and everyone at SMP and Minotaur Books for your inspired and dedicated work on behalf of this series.
Thank you to Danielle Burby and to everyone at HSG for buoying up my dreams with such clear-headed clarity and commitment. Danielle: you give your heart and soul to my books, and I couldn’t be more grateful for your faith. Thank you, Tanusri, for a thoroughly enjoyable discussion of Indian movies—and for all your incredible work. I don’t know how you understand those contracts, but I’m grateful that you do. Thank you, Dylan, for keeping your kind and clever eye on my Web site.
Thank you to Jamie, Fleur, and Laurie at Raincoast Books, and to Dan for such wonderful support of my books in Canada, and for many enlivening conversations about books and politics. Thank you, Ben McNally, for hosting me at your beautiful bookstore in Toronto. And for the invigorating experience of Books & Brunch.
Thank you to my fellow writers who offer such generous encouragement: Mark Stevens, you are in a class by yourself. Every writer should have a friend like you. Hilary Davidson, thank you for being so thoroughly wonderful to newly published writers, I’m so very grateful! Thank you to Hank Phillippi Ryan for so much encouragement. Thank you to Marian Misters and the Crime Writers of Canada, and to Carol Stacy and RT Book Reviews for honoring The Unquiet Dead. Thank you also so much to Mystery Readers International, George Easter and Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine, and Mystery Scene Magazine. Nadine, Mimi, and Nikki, thank you for your kindness—I’m so delighted by your books! Thank you to Marni Graff, my very kind friend and an early believer in this series. And thank you to Len Vlahos at the Tattered Cover for featuring The Language of Secrets, and for sharing your incredible work with me.
Warmest thanks to Cat Acree, Azra Agic, Professor Ahmet A., Asian American Literature Fans, Reza Aslan as always, Julie Barlow, Bearpond Books, Brian Bethune, the wonderful ladies of Bibliobroads, Michelle Bosu (I miss you—that’s a big ocean to cross!), Dottie Brenner, Sue Carter, Lisa Casper, the very kind Oline Cogdill, Michael D’Souza, the lovely and charming Angela Dover for so many things (Frances!), Amira El-Ghawaby, Saadia Faruqi for buoying me up, Barbara Fister, Peter Ganim, Ihsaan Gardee, Sarah Harvey for such encouragement, Steve Hockensmith, Jilliane Hoffman, Nur Nasreen Ibrahim, Arif and Nausheen Khan, Barbara Khan at Baer Books, Nora Krug, Owen Laukkanen for such kindness, Owen and Linda L. Richards for a great panel, Jennie Lay, Hind Makki, Carol Memmott, Vick Mickunas, Soraya M., Sahar Mustafah, the lovely Joann Oh, Sumathi Pundit, the late Colleen O’Connor, whose voice will be missed, Glen P. Sherman, Sadaf Siddique, Amanda Skelton, the very kind Robin Stevenson, Art Taylor, Sarah Tranum, Asma Uddin, Stacy Verdick Case, Paula L. Woods, and especially to Jenn Northington and Amanda Nelson at Book Riot.
Thank you to Irene Lau, a kindred spirit, and to the wonderful Lonnie Propas for inviting me to the Cuffed Festival. My deepest appreciation to all the readers who regularly interact with me on Facebook and Twitter with such informative and enthusiastic feedback. Thank you to the book clubs who host me, and the wonderful women behind them. Thank you to the chapters of the American Association of University Women who invite me to speak. Thank you especially to Tabassum Siddiqui, who so warmly helped me share my point of view on ‘q’ with the lovely Piya Chattopadhyay (Tab was also my fabulous partner in crime at MGM), and to the amazing Shelagh Rogers at CBC Radio for a fantastic interview.
Thank you to the incredibly talented Saladin Ahmad for reading my books, and for your kindness and generosity in encouraging your thousands of followers to do so, as well. (If you’re not following Saladin on Twitter or haven’t read Throne of the Crescent Moon, you don’t know what you’re missing.)
Thank you to the lovely and talented writers’ group in Toronto: Sajidah, Uzma, and Rania—I can’t wait for your books and stories! There’s a romantic comedy in my immediate future, right?
Thank you to Tony and Craig for being such wonderful neighbors, and to Jonas and Cati for so generously allowing the sheer magic of Shiloh and Gordy into our lives.
Thank you to Quincy Drinker for so many frank and fruitful discussions about the representation of communities of color in fiction. I love talking about books with you. Keep writing, my friend, your voice matters.
Thank you to RJ and Janice Rosa, who not only take such excellent care of my brother, but who are also so kind to me. Jan, I’m in awe of your intellect and compassion, and am deeply grateful for the mentorship of such a distinguished luminary of the law. Thank you also to all of Irfan and Uzma’s friends for such kind and enthusiastic interest. (And for making the trek from Buffalo. In winter.)
Thank you to Richard Doughty for featuring me in a publication I’ve admired for as long as I can remember, and for telling so many enchanting stories about the Islamic civilization. And thank you to Piney Kesting for such a stimulating discussion of art, history, and culture.
Thank you to Ian Iqbal Rashid and Jennifer Kawaja for writing me the kindest, most meaningful letter on my books I’ve ever read. And thank you to everyone at Allison Shearmur Productions, especially Allison Shearmur and Lillah McCarthy, for taking a chance on these books, no matter how our journey turns out.
On Iran
My deepest gratitude to M for such a generous and emotional discussion of Iran’s past, present, and future, and for reliving the protests and the arrest for the sake of this book. Thank you to M for speaking so candidly about those frantic hours, for describing the Sonata—and for the desolation and hope you spoke of so eloquently. So many of your words made it into this book.
Thank you to the beautiful and much-loved N for your invaluable research on the murder of Zahra Kazemi, may God grant her peace. And to F, F, M, and M for answering so many questions about names, locations, forms of address, and language. Juju is Joojeh thanks to you. To B, for a long and immensely helpful discussion of the Shah of Iran’s legacy, and for the stunning archival photographs. And again to F, for knowing when to send a timely photograph.
Thank you to S, for advising me so thoroughly about cyber and satellite communications inside Iran. And to N, for your thoughts on Iranian etiquette and customs.
To A, for graciously granting me an interview on your legendary work in the field of human rights. It was an honor and privilege to meet you. To S, role model and daily inspiration, for such magnificent clarity and courage. To H, for showing me such courtesy at your institution, and for what I learned from your ordeal. And to those friends and colleagues, formerly in prison or currently in prison, praying for the day of release. You are many, and you are remembered.
Thank you, Nader, for so many things. Your seminal book on the Green Movement, the countless sources you directed me to, the dozens of books you loaned me, the constant elucidation of Farsi, the endless encouragement that this was a story worth telling, and most of all, for your encyclopedic knowledge of Iran’s politics and history. Thank you for answering a library’s worth of questions. And for being the kind of person whose faith in a magic green bracelet never wavers. You are always the light of my eyes.
ALSO BY AUSMA ZEHANAT KHAN
The Language of Secrets
The Unquiet Dead
About the Author
Ausma Zehanat Khan holds a Ph.D. in international human rights law and is a former adjunct law professor. She was editor in chief of Muslim Girl magazine, the first magazine targeted to young Muslim women. A British-born Canadian, Khan now lives in Colorado with her husband. You can sign up for email updates here.
Thank you for buying this
St. Martin’s Press ebook.
To receive special offers, bonus content,
and info on new releases and other great reads,
sign up for our newsletters.
Or visit us online at
us.macmillan.com/newslettersignup
For email updates on the author, click here.
Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
A Time Line of Modern Iran
Epigraph
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Author’s Note
Acknowledgments
Also by Ausma Zehanat Khan
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
AMONG THE RUINS. Copyright © 2017 by Ausma Zehanat Khan. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
Cited poetry from the Penguin publication The Gift, Poems by Hafiz, copyright © 1999 by Daniel Ladinsky and used with his permission.
www.minotaurbooks.com
Cover design by David Baldeosingh Rotstein
Cover photographs: man © Deborah Kolb / Imagebrief; bridge © Matyas Rehak / Shutterstock.com; pattern © CG Artist / Shutterstock.com
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-09673-9 (hardcover)
ISBN 078-1-250-09675-3 (e-book)
e-ISBN 9781250096753
Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at [email protected].
First Edition: February 2017
Among the Ruins Page 34