From Iran to Israel: A Memoir of Escape, Identity, and the Iranian Revolution

TEHRAN, 1979. THE WORLD AS HE KNEW IT WAS ABOUT TO BURN.One day, Ash Avi Khalili was a boy living a comfortable life in Iran. Next, the streets were filled with chants of "Death to the Shah," and the arrival of a new regime marked the end of his childhood innocence.What followed was a harrowing journey of survival. Forced to leave everything behind, Ash and his family entrusted their lives to smugglers, fleeing across freezing, snow-covered mountains on horseback into the unknown. But escaping Iran was only the beginning.From the culture shock of Israel to the bright lights of New York City—and a deportation that stripped him of everything—Ash spent his young adulthood drifting between borders, identities, and jobs, forever searching for a place to call home.From Iran to Israel is a raw, nakedly honest memoir about growing up in the shadow of a revolution. It is a story about the walls we build to protect ourselves, the secrets we keep, and the courage it takes to stop running from the past and finally start living.A heartbreaking yet hopeful memoir for fans of The Kite Runner and Persepolis, this is a true story of survival, resilience, and the search for a new way forward. Read more