‘Only This Beautiful Moment’ is a story to warm the coldest of hearts. It tells the story of three generations of an Iranian family, each with their own demons to contend with and with more in common than they think. Brought together by the impending death of Baba, secrets unfold and connections are strengthened as the three men deal with their heartbreak, regret and loss.
They truly are a ‘family marked by tragedy and connected by love’. This is a must read!

A pitch-perfect exploration of gay culture, politics, and history, told as a coming-of-age story across three generations.
Beautiful writing combines with a deep insight into the feeling of being isolated from your culture in various different ways. The characters are nuanced and relatable, and the family dynamics are explored in a moving and uplifting way.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Only This Beautiful Moment' by Abdi Nazemian.

'Only This Beautiful Moment' is such a beautiful read and it did hook me to start with. I did lose interest towards the end, which is fully my fault, but I would definitely recommend this book to everyone.

The book is the story of three generations of men in the same Iranian family. The son, an out gay late-teen, is in the process of understanding himself and his identity, as he travels with his father from his home in Los Angeles to Tehran to visit his grandfather. The father's story takes him from Iran to the US in the 70s, as the revolution in Iran unfolds, and he, unwittingly, gets caught up in its aftermath. The grandfather's story in the 30s is the driving force behind a lot of the plot, and is what helps unlock a lot of the frustrations and relationship difficulties in the family.

What I liked in particular were the characters. All three men are credible, interesting in their own right, and feel real (perhaps modelled after real people in the author's life?). Their struggles seem tangible, their pain genuine, and sacrifices gut-wrenching. Of the three it's actually the father Saeed who shows the most growth and evolution as a character, and it's satisfying to see how he continues to develop and evolve as a kind and warm human being.

I also found the exploration of the question of gay rights and what it means to be gay across periods and countries to be fascinating. The parallels between Iran and the US, in this context, are particularly stark. I really liked how the book also highlights the resilience of people under adversity, and shows that (at least some) gay men can find companionship and happiness under the most repressive of environments. There is hopefulness and love in this.

The theme of immigration and existing across two cultures (in this case, America and Iran) has a major role to play here as well. It talks about the trade-offs and the struggles, and what it takes to find inner peace and acceptance. This is not a question of choice - but of co-existence (which is perhaps an unpopular thought).

Lastly, this book is about family - what it means and how influential it can be in helping one survive one's struggles. The book is a scathing critique, in my view, of the idea (in America) of self-empowerment, whereby it is suggested that a person should lock people out of their lives if they fail to accept them as they are (the author refers to this in his postscript). The book highlights the importance of continuing to seek understanding and not giving up on your family and loved ones, even if at first they find it difficult to understand what you need. It is an ode to patience, love, communication, and perseverance in families.

Overall, I liked the book very much and found it both interesting, and well written. The main issue I had with this is that it feels like it was written by an American. A little bit like Chicken Tikka Masala - it sounds like an Indian dish, but it was invented in the UK, and consumed mostly by white locals. It's hard to put my finger on it, but, while some of the book indeed shows and embodies values that stem from the Iranian culture and belief-systems, the way the story unfolds, its rhythm, and, in many ways, it straightforward simplicity (and lack of ambiguity) are very "American".

I recommend to anyone interested in contemporary Iran, the experience of gay men in Iran, the struggles of living across two cultures, and the importance of families.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Tiger Group for approving my request to read an arc of this book

Only This Beautiful Moment follows the lives of three generations of Iranian boys as they each face challenges, struggles and also find their own happiness in their lives.

There was a quote from the book that I really enjoyed which was from Bobby’s point of view in 1939 which said “in films we see men fly and cast spells, but can’t imagine a world where they can fall in love with another man” Bobby was my favourite character and I enjoyed his chapters the most.