Under its placid surface in 1978, Iran was a simmering sea of religious animosity and social resentment, which was shortly to boil over into the world's first Islamic revolution; the overthrow of the country's autocratic ruler, the Shah; and his replacement with a charismatic religious leader, Ayatollah Khomeni. My Persian Girl is an account of the impact the violent turmoil of the 1979 Iranian has on three people: Shahnaz, a young Iranian woman; her husband, Raman, who is an ambitious officer in Iran's secret police; and a naive young English engineer, James Hawkins. All three characters must make difficult decisions as Iran gradually slides towards the revolution, which threatens their personal safety. My Persian Girl is more than a love story set within a political thriller - it is a story of courage and hope in the face of momentous events, which have global resonance today.