Only This Beautiful Moment
Three generations of Iranian and Iranian American men confront secrets and difficult truths in a novel that spans eight decades. In 2019, 17-year-old Moud and his father are traveling to Iran to visit Moud’s grandfather, who is dying. He’s overwhelmed to be going “home” for the first time, and to be spending so much time with his father, who barely acknowledges that Moud is queer. Worried about Iran’s treatment of LGBTQ people, Moud scrubs his social media of all evidence of his gayness before leaving, only to be surprised to discover a community of queer people in Iran, many of whom his grandfather knows. In 1978, Moud’s father, Saeed, is a young man forced to leave Iran for participating in protests. In the United States, Saeed is distraught to learn that his parents are both gay and married each other to keep their true identities hidden. In 1939, Bobby—Saeed’s father, Moud’s grandfather—is a child actor in the United States; his controlling mother pushed him into the industry. When he signs a contract with MGM, Bobby—who is gay, closeted, and in love with his best friend—meets queer adults who offer him both hope and, when he’s outed, support. As the three men gather in Iran in 2019, their secrets and pasts are confronted for the first time in a moving novel that delves into not only queerness and homophobia but Iranian history, conflict, and politics. ©2023 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
CCBC Age Recommendation: Age 14 and older
Age Range:
Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
20th Century
21st Century
Acting and Actors
Families
Fathers
Gays
Grandfathers
Historical Fiction
Iranians and Iranian Americans
LGBTQ+ Persons
Politics and Political Systems
Secrets
Diversity subjects:
Asian
Middle East
LGBTQ Character/Topic
Publishers:
Balzer + Bray, HarperCollins
Publish Year: 2023
Pages: 390
ISBN: 9780063039377
CCBC Location: Fiction, Nazemian