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Anna Woodward Swinburn, a young and advenutrous New Zealand woman, met and fell in love with Bijan, a handsome Persian, while on her OE in the UK. After living happily together in England and New Zealand for a number of years Bijan was forced to answer the call to return home, so Anna eventually followed him to his home town of Mashad, a holy Muslim city not far from the Caspian Sea and the Soviet border. This is the moving story of Anna and Bijan's love and life in modern-day Iran, where the fundamentalist, authoritarian regime of the Ayatollah and the republican guards failed to erase either Anna's and Bijan's love for one another, or Anna's increasing affection and respect both for Bijan's family and the Iranian people as a whole. Anna Woodward Swinburn writes simply and gracefully of the wonders of Iran, both old and new, and the rich culture of the Iranian people. As her story carried us along towards its tragic conclusion we learn much about the resilience of an ancient people, as well as the courage and compassion of a young New Zealander.