Familial Undercurrents

More about the book

The narrative explores Afsaneh Najmabadi's discovery of her father's secret second family, leading her to examine the evolution of love, marriage, and family dynamics in mid-twentieth-century Iran. She highlights the shift from polygamy to the dominant ideal of companionate, monogamous marriage among Tehran's urban middle class. Through analysis of literature, rituals, and social changes, Najmabadi illustrates how cultural and architectural transformations in Tehran shaped modern Iranian family life, revealing a complex interplay of tradition and modernity.