The King, young Shah Naser, takes to the throne of Persia at a turning point of history: he inherits an enchanted medieval world of harems, eunuchs, and treasures as well as a palace of secret doors, sudden deaths, and hidden agendas. Within the court is danger enough: outside all manner of change threatens—industrialization, colonization.  Russia and England conspire to open the King’s empire; his mother and his vizier take opposing sides. The poor King—almost an exact contemporary of Queen Victoria—is trapped.  He likes some aspects of modernity (electricity, photography) but can’t embrace democracy. He must be a sovereign: he must keep his throne. The King cannot face change and he cannot escape it.With this gleaming and seemingly simple story, breathlessly paced and beautifully told, Kader Abdolah, the acclaimed Iranian émigré novelist, speaks of deeper truths. A novel which has many timely things to say about eras of change and upheaval, The King is an unforgettable book.

*Longlisted for the 2016 International DUBLIN Literary Award*Once upon a time there was a Persian prince. The prince had many brothers, for his father had married over a thousand wives, but Prince Naser alone stood to inherit the kingdom.As the prince ascends to the throne we lurk in his shadow to overhear the whispered intrigues and plotting of bloody battles. The weight of the nation bears heavily on Shah Naser's shoulders. Will this young king triumph or will he succumb to the forces that threaten to engulf him?Enter the court of the King of Persia . . .

Welcome to the house of the mosque . . . Iran, 1950. Spring has arrived, and as the women prepare the festivities, Sadiq waits for a suitor to knock on the door. Her uncle Nosrat returns from Tehran with a glamorous woman, while on the rooftop, Shahbal longs only for a television to watch the first moon landing. But not even the beloved grandmothers can foresee what will happen in the days and months to come. The household is set to experience great love and loss as it opens the doors to faith and politics. In this uplifting bestseller, Kader Abdolah charts the triumphs and tragedies of a family on the brink of revolution.

»Det var en gång ett hus, ett gammalt hus, som hette huset vid moskén«. Så inleds Kader Abdolahs familjeepos som utspelar sig under flera viktiga skeden i Irans dramatiska historia. I mittpunken står just huset vid moskén, där tre kusiners familjer bor: köpmannen Agha Jan, imamen Alsaberi och böneutroparen Agha Shoja. Familjen har under åttahundra år, generation efter generation, styrt det mesta i staden Senejan. Men när shahen störtas och den islamiska revolutionen startar i slutet av 1970-talet förändras allt.

The King, young Shah Naser, takes to the throne of Persia at a turning point of history: he inherits an enchanted medieval world of harems, eunuchs, and treasures as well as a palace of secret doors, sudden deaths, and hidden agendas. Within the court is danger enough: outside all manner of change threatens—industrialization, colonization.  Russia and England conspire to open the King’s empire; his mother and his vizier take opposing sides. The poor King—almost an exact contemporary of Queen Victoria—is trapped.  He likes some aspects of modernity (electricity, photography) but can’t embrace democracy. He must be a sovereign: he must keep his throne. The King cannot face change and he cannot escape it.With this gleaming and seemingly simple story, breathlessly paced and beautifully told, Kader Abdolah, the acclaimed Iranian émigré novelist, speaks of deeper truths. A novel which has many timely things to say about eras of change and upheaval, The King is an unforgettable book.

*Longlisted for the 2016 International DUBLIN Literary Award*Once upon a time there was a Persian prince. The prince had many brothers, for his father had married over a thousand wives, but Prince Naser alone stood to inherit the kingdom.As the prince ascends to the throne we lurk in his shadow to overhear the whispered intrigues and plotting of bloody battles. The weight of the nation bears heavily on Shah Naser's shoulders. Will this young king triumph or will he succumb to the forces that threaten to engulf him?Enter the court of the King of Persia . . .

Welcome to the house of the mosque . . . Iran, 1950. Spring has arrived, and as the women prepare the festivities, Sadiq waits for a suitor to knock on the door. Her uncle Nosrat returns from Tehran with a glamorous woman, while on the rooftop, Shahbal longs only for a television to watch the first moon landing. But not even the beloved grandmothers can foresee what will happen in the days and months to come. The household is set to experience great love and loss as it opens the doors to faith and politics. In this uplifting bestseller, Kader Abdolah charts the triumphs and tragedies of a family on the brink of revolution.

»Det var en gång ett hus, ett gammalt hus, som hette huset vid moskén«. Så inleds Kader Abdolahs familjeepos som utspelar sig under flera viktiga skeden i Irans dramatiska historia. I mittpunken står just huset vid moskén, där tre kusiners familjer bor: köpmannen Agha Jan, imamen Alsaberi och böneutroparen Agha Shoja. Familjen har under åttahundra år, generation efter generation, styrt det mesta i staden Senejan. Men när shahen störtas och den islamiska revolutionen startar i slutet av 1970-talet förändras allt.