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Martyr!

by Kaveh Akbar
Martyr!
Martyr!

Search for meaning through generational Iranian tales.

If you're drawn to powerful family sagas that weave personal and historical narratives, "Martyr!" could captivate you. Kaveh Akbar's literary craftsmanship in combining a poignant search for identity with the rich backdrop of Iranian history creates a resonant tale. It might just answer a call for understanding oneself within the larger tapestry of our interconnected stories.

  • Audie Award Nominee for Literary Fiction & Classics (2025)
  • Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Fiction (2025)
  • Andrew Carnegie Medal Nominee for Fiction (2025)
  • National Book Award Finalist for Fiction (2024)
  • Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fiction and for Debut Novel (2024)
  • Brooklyn Public Library Literary Prize for Fiction (2024)
  • The Rooster -- The Morning News Tournament of Books Nominee for Shortlist (2025)
  • The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize Nominee for Longlist (2024)
  • Dublin Literary Award Nominee (2025)
  • She Reads Best of Award Nominee for Book of the Year, Debut, and Literary Fiction (2024)
  • Libby Award Nominee for Best Audiobook and Best Debut (2025)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

Martyr!

by Kaveh Akbar
Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Very Good Condition

This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Good Condition

We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

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ISBN: 9781035026081
Authors: Kaveh Akbar
Publisher: Picador
Date of Publication: 2025-02-06
Format: Paperback
Related Collections: Literary Fiction, Poetry, Contemporary
Related Topics: LGBTQ+, Asian Literature
Goodreads rating: 4.17
(rated by 143201 readers)

Description

Electrifying, funny, wholly original, and profound, Martyr! heralds the arrival of a blazing and essential new voice in contemporary fiction. Cyrus Shams is lost. Ever since his mother’s plane was senselessly shot down over the Persian Gulf when he was just a baby, Cyrus has been grappling with her death. Now, newly sober, he is set to learn the truth of her life. When an encounter with a dying artist leads Cyrus towards the mysteries of his past - an uncle who rode through Iranian battlefields dressed as an Angel of Death, a haunting work of art by an exiled painter – he finds himself once again caught up in the story of his mother, who may not have been who or what she seemed. As Cyrus searches for meaning in the scattered clues of his life, a final revelation transforms everything he thought he knew.
 

Search for meaning through generational Iranian tales.

If you're drawn to powerful family sagas that weave personal and historical narratives, "Martyr!" could captivate you. Kaveh Akbar's literary craftsmanship in combining a poignant search for identity with the rich backdrop of Iranian history creates a resonant tale. It might just answer a call for understanding oneself within the larger tapestry of our interconnected stories.

  • Audie Award Nominee for Literary Fiction & Classics (2025)
  • Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Fiction (2025)
  • Andrew Carnegie Medal Nominee for Fiction (2025)
  • National Book Award Finalist for Fiction (2024)
  • Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fiction and for Debut Novel (2024)
  • Brooklyn Public Library Literary Prize for Fiction (2024)
  • The Rooster -- The Morning News Tournament of Books Nominee for Shortlist (2025)
  • The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize Nominee for Longlist (2024)
  • Dublin Literary Award Nominee (2025)
  • She Reads Best of Award Nominee for Book of the Year, Debut, and Literary Fiction (2024)
  • Libby Award Nominee for Best Audiobook and Best Debut (2025)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.