Assessment:
Idea: Like the Wind I Go is a genuine, fresh account of the author’s experiences as a young man in 1978 Iran. Readers will gain a deeper understanding of Iranian history and culture from this informative and personal first-hand narrative.
Prose: Imani’s prose is clear and soundly integrates historically relevant details with more intimate storytelling. Dialogue is at times strained and ultimately less engaging than the narrative sections.
Originality: Imani’s account of his life in Iran during a period of intense conflict and uncertainty, is surely unique. Most intriguing is the author’s struggle to reconcile his yearning for a life in America, with his obligations to his home country.
Character/Execution: The author is most successful when describing the political and social tumult he experiences in his young life and the ways in which these events shape him psychologically and emotionally. The recreation of interactions between family members, friends, and strangers, can come across as somewhat flat and inauthentic.
Date Submitted: October 31, 2020
