Chicken with Plums

By Marjane Satrapi. Published by Pantheon. 

Hardcover, 96 pages, B&W, 2009. 

The bestselling author of Persepolis brings her signature humor and insight to the heartrending story of a celebrated Iranian musician who gives up his life for music and love. 

“A feast you’ll devour.” —Newsweek

When Nasser Ali Khan, the author’s great-uncle, discovers that his beloved instrument is irreparably damaged, he takes to his bed, renouncing the world and all its pleasures. Over the course of the week that follows, we are treated to vivid scenes of his encounters with family and friends, flashbacks to his childhood, and flash-forwards to his children’s future. And as the pieces of his story fall into place, we begin to understand the breadth of his decision to let go of life.

The poignant story of one man, it is also stunningly universal—a luminous tale of life and death, and the courage and passion both require of us.