THE BOOKS
UNREST
978-0-9965517-0-0 (E-Book); 978-0-9965517-1-7 and 2-4 (Print Versions)
An American teenager and her military family find themselves on the brink of revolution in 1970's Iran
E-book offered through Amazon Kindle, Ibooks, and Barnes and Noble's Nook. Print versions available through Amazon, on-line retailers and select bookstores. Expanded distribution of print versions is through Lightning Source/Ingram Spark.
Reviews
“An American teenager learns about love and loss in the midst of 1978's Iranian Revolution. . . . Suspense and romance join cultural upheaval in Tehran to help capture a unique moment in world history”. – Kirkus Reviews
"Heath’s debut novel masterfully incorporates family, romance, tension, and fully realized characters into a wonderfully written piece of historical fiction set in 1978 Tehran, during the lead-up to the Iranian Revolution. ... The time period is accurately captured from the viewpoint of the Pattersons as well as from the Iranian characters’ perspectives. This is a superb accomplishment of character development, as well as an immersive journey through Tehran’s many landmarks". - Publishers Weekly's BookLife
Reviewed by Kimberlee J Benart for Readers' Favorite
"It would be interesting enough to read about an intelligent, likable, very observant seventeen-year-old who is entering womanhood, with all the burgeoning emotions and forays into first love and passion that such a story entails. But add to that the stress of being a “military brat” entering her senior year in a new school, and move her to Tehran during the buildup to the 1979 Iranian Islamic revolution, and you have the makings of a sometimes heart-pounding, sometimes heart-wrenching, always engaging story that satisfies on many levels. Sandra Ann Heath does exactly that in her debut novel, Unrest: A Coming-of-Age Story Beneath the Alborz Mountains, and she does it wonderfully.
Through the experiences and thoughts of the protagonist, Annie, and told in her voice, Heath provides a compassionate yet realistic insight into the stresses faced by military families as they try to provide American “normalcy” for their kids in places as “foreign” as the word can mean. With a highly descriptive narrative, a varied and complex cast of characters, and steady movement through the chronology of the political events that lead to regime change, Heath maintains an entertaining and suspenseful pace. I couldn’t wait to get to the next chapter. In the story, Annie discovers the poet Forugh Farrokhzad, who is associated with social change movements in the decades before the events in the novel. Lines from Farrokhzad’s poems introduce several chapters and interplay with the theme of the need for social change, particularly for women, which Annie raises on several occasions. Unrest tackles not only the experiences of one young woman, but the need for society to recognize the value and equality of all women."
Customer Reviews:
"I was riveted by this book, which presents a multi-layered story of a military family in Iran at the time of the revolution. There's the story of Iran and its people caught up in seismic change; there's an American family, used to a certain degree of routine and security, that finds itself in a vulnerable, targeted situation; there's a love story between two young people who respect and appreciate each other although they are on either side of a cultural divide; and, finally, there's an ending, years later, that provides a bittersweet knock-out punch that will stay with you long after you put the book down. Anyone of the many threads in this novel would hold my attention on its own. Together they weave an unforgettable tapestry that has the added quality of being, sentence by sentence, crafted with attention and care. At a time when many in the West are vilifying Islam, "Unrest" also serves to remind us that all people, whatever their faith or culture, share the same needs for love, safety, independence, and respect. A truly beautiful book." https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B01AZHVBJG/
"This is a book written with all sincerity and genuine passion of emotions as the author takes us on a journey not just through two characters' hearts meeting across the seas, but also connecting our present with the past as the writing brings forth truths between differences of people, West meets East, and the history of America government and Persia's that is relevant to today's quest for our common ties, just as human beings. One can't help but embrace the exotic and alluring moments of Tehran, Iran, where 2,500 years ago, when the present provinces of Iran were made of 240 kingdoms, and the kings of Parsa established an empire that came to be known in the West as the Persian Empire - the largest empire the world have ever known to that point. Thank you Sandra Ann Heath" https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B01AZHVBJG/