Review: Bird of Passage by Dr. Nooshie Motaref

Bird of Passage by author Dr. Nooshie Motaref is a fascinating account of a woman born in Iran who moves through the world looking for love, spiritual healing, and an understanding of what has happened to her homeland.

Wherever Mitra goes, she finds adventure, insecurity, romance, danger and, at times, disappointment. Yet her inner strength remains honed to the tasks that face her. Her namesake, from Indo-Persian mythology, is a wise woman who speaks truth, “with a thousand ears…ten thousand eyes.” This fortitude will be especially needed, as when following the ascension to power of the Khomeini regime in Iran, Mitra is impelled to emigrate to the US, where she takes a position as a translator in Washington DC. Little does she realize that when she is called for an interview, she will have to accept the job immediately, working for the CIA gathering evidence against those she has known.

The plotting of this complex novel moves like a dramatic tapestry, skillfully designed and displayed by Motaref, who leaves no aspect of her culture unexamined. As seen through Mitra’s perceptions, the author explores in depth the culture, history, and chaos of a rebellion scarred homeland. In narrative and dialogue, Motaref debates the necessity for women to wear the hijab, and dissects other restrictive elements of the Islamic faith that may have affected her just as they affect her heroine.

Such dynamic themes so meticulously parsed will inevitably raise important questions for American readers about the US and its actions in the worldwide political panorama, and be challenged to carefully consider the dilemma of those who, dominated by an oppressive regime, are forced to express loyalty to leaders they have not chosen. However, an uplifting balance is struck in the narrative, stressing the importance of listening to one’s inner voice.

There are a few issues with editing here, as the story often relies too much on dialogue in important scenes, with the issue bolstered by the character’s thoughts in italics. This is a little out of place in a book that presents itself as literary autofiction – show not tell is always the rule, but here the acceptable two or three exchanges in written conversation often burgeon into page-length information-dumping, making the flow of the prose somewhat uneven. In a book with such an intricate narrative, this is wearing at times, as it requires the reader to hold too many thoughts and join too many dots. However, the writing style is clean and present, and due to the well-constructed plot arc, none of this is overly problematic, and Mitra will feel like a dear friend by the end of the book.

In a time of worldwide upheaval, Bird of Passage is not only beautifully told, but important for a wide range of readers, as it meshes romance, intrigue, scholarly wisdom, and the lively, credible feelings of a woman of the world poring over her proper place in it. Motaref’s saga, imbued with cinematic intensity, has the power to reach, engage, and motivate women of many cultures and convictions.