Untethered: The True Children of Cyrus

TITLE: Untethered: The True Children of Cyrus
AUTHOR: Brian Alikhani
PUBLISHER: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN-10: 154125144X
ISBN-13: 978-1541251441
PAGES: 200
GENRE: Non-Fiction

I had not prepared myself for the intensity of the story and the emotional rollercoaster I was to experience when reading this book. The narrator’s life as an immigrant was not only unfortunate but also filled with a lot of frustrations. A sixteen-year-old left his home in Tehran, Iran, to go to San Jose California to study, not knowing what the future holds. He was met with both culture shock and was forced to adjust to his new environment. The narrator’s story is not that of any ordinary teen. Life for him and his family was different. He had to grow up faster than his peers and even learn faster.
I enjoyed reading about Borz’s life. He wrote with the intent of inviting the reader to a part of his journey. I also enjoyed the love he had for his family. Borz’s connection with his twin sister, Anahita was admirable. I loved reading about the two, and how they did things together. Borz explained in detail how he and his sister prepared for their grand journey to the United States, not leaving a single detail out. He talked about the issue he had with his visa and narrated everything that happened during his visa application process. I loved reading this as I as the reader got a chance to picture how things happened.
Life in America was, of course, different from that in Iran and Borz and Anahita had different experiences. I appreciated the role of Jasmin in their lives. She was a hero I loved from the start. Being older than Borz also meant that she knew much more and would be the twins’ shoulder to lean on in case of any challenges. Life in the U.S was however not a walk in the park. Borz and his siblings encountered a lot of difficulties especially since they were foreigners. Things got pretty bad and the siblings had to fend for themselves at some point. The worst of all was that the situation at home was unbearable. Chaos and political instability had rocked their home country and none could return to Iran. Murders and political assassinations became the norm and the country became insecure.
Borz’s story was both stimulating and partly sad some. Through his story, the reader is able to learn about the importance of peace and stability in a country. I also got to understand the impact of revolutions. The author wrote a bit about Cyrus the Great, and I was made to understand why he is identified as a historical icon.
“Untethered: The True Children of Cyrus” is a book every reader would want to get their hands on. It is enlightening, interesting, eye-opening and exciting to read. The author told the story in an amazing manner, despite there being events which lead to deaths and loss of property. The writing style in the book is commendable and the narration is outstanding. 4 out of 5 stars rating for the book.

Author Questions
1. How long did you take to write this book?
2. Do you hold any remorse towards The Islamic Republic of Iran?
3. Did you at any point break down when writing this book?
4. What would you have done differently if the political turmoil caught you in Iran?
5. Do you think that America can change how she treats her immigrants?