The Ministry of Guidance

A fascinating collection of stories set in Iran and Europe showcasing sex, longing and desire in many of its forms with an emphasis on LGBTQI relationships.

There is a matter-of-factness in the voice of these stories and the explicit sexual encounters are strikingly stark, while the relationships and power dynamics between characters are nuanced and quick to change, and varied across the stories. Some seek sex as oblivion - a way to wipe out worries and their own self consciousness about being in the world. Other characters pride themselves on their hedonism which is a refreshing and different representation of young Iranians for westerners like myself to read - there is even a knowing reference to Marjane Satrapi's comics, and how there isn't just one story to tell about Iranians.

The different points of view are well captured and range from young women who come to understand more of the world, to the heartbreak of unrequited love to the corruption of the publishing industry.

Some of my favourite stories were Caspian, Spoilt, Art Lessons, Acid and Transit. Acid and Transit were particularly strong stories that evoked much about their narrators lives, their sexual fluidity and sense of yearning and living in between two places, two lives and two futures.

I look forward to reading more of Nour's work in the future.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher @muswellpress for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Muswell Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Golnoosh Nour's Ministry of Guidance is rousing collection of young, queer love stories set primarily in the Persian community in Tehran. The fully fleshed out characters are titillating, heartbreaking and exciting. This collection speaks to the larger collective, asking what does it mean to be a Muslim and in love? What is a 'bad hejabi'? Why are there so many rules and regulations around who a Muslim can love and how does that play out in the larger society? Well worth the time!