Rooftops of Tehran

Rooftops of Tehran (2009) is a historical fiction novel written by Iranian-American writer Mahbod Seraji. It follows a 17-year-old boy, Pasha, and his friends as they come of age during an era of political oppression and turmoil in Iran.

The novel was selected as one of the books in the Outstanding Debut Category by the American Booksellers Association, and it was one of the San Francisco Chronicle’s 50 Notable Books of the Bay Area. Rooftops of Tehran has been translated into 22 languages.

This study guide refers to the 2009 hardback cover edition of the book published by New American Library.

Content Warning: The source text features depictions of political oppression and physical violence, including scenes of torture, mentions of sexual assault, and self-immolation.

Plot Summary

During the summer of 1973, Pasha, a 17-year-old boy, spends time on his rooftop in Tehran, Iran, with Ahmed, his best friend. Ahmed is in love with a girl in their neighborhood named Faheemeh, who is betrothed to another man. Pasha is in love with his neighbor, Zari, who is engaged to a young university student everyone calls Doctor. Pasha feels guilty about his feelings for Zari since he is friends with Doctor.

Doctor is in staunch opposition of the Shah and his regime. He tells Pasha that he and his friends plan to travel to villages, where they will build wells for the villagers and educate them. Pasha argues it’s unsafe because the secret police—the SAVAK—might arrest him, but Doctor insists on going.

While Doctor is gone, Faheemeh, Ahmed, Zari, and Pasha spend time together every day. Faheemeh broke her engagement with the other man after Ahmed confessed his feelings for her, and they fall deeper in love. Zari and Pasha, too, have romantic feelings for each other, but they suppress them out of respect for Doctor. One night, while Pasha is on his rooftop, he sees Doctor fleeing to Zari’s house and hiding inside the yard. Some SAVAK agents are chasing Doctor, and they notice Pasha looking into Zari’s yard. They follow Pasha’s gaze and arrest Doctor. Pasha feels guilty, believing that he is to blame for Doctor’s arrest. Zari is also devastated when Doctor is taken away to prison.

Weeks pass and there is no news of Doctor, and Pasha feels angry at the political injustice of the Shah’s regime. One evening, SAVAK agents come to Zari’s house to announce that Doctor was executed. They forbid anyone from mourning Doctor since he is considered a traitor against the Shah. Still, Zari, Ahmed, Faheemeh, and Pasha attend the funeral.

Pasha becomes increasingly frustrated as he observes the injustices around him, and he blames himself for Doctor’s death. Pasha continues to act out until Zari reassures him that he is not to blame. Pasha and Zari start to keep each other company on the rooftop every night until Pasha kisses her one night. Conflicted about her emotions, Zari runs away, and returns only after Pasha promises to never kiss her again.

One day, Zari mentions that she wants to go watch the Shah’s birthday motorcade. Ahmed, Faheemeh, and Pasha accompany her. There, after declaring her love for Pasha, Zari lights herself on fire in protest of the regime’s brutality. She tries to throw herself at the Shah’s car, but the Shah’s security stops her. Pasha tries to reach Zari, but soldiers hit him in the back of his head.

Afterward, Pasha spends three months healing in a psychiatric facility. Traumatized by the events, he cannot recall what happened. Eventually, he remembers, and his parents tell him Zari is dead. Ahmed is imprisoned, and he comes to visit Pasha in the hospital as soon as he is released.  

When Pasha returns home, his neighbors welcome him back warmly. Ahmed and Faheemeh are now engaged to be married, and Zari’s family has decided to move out of the neighborhood. They tell Pasha that Zari’s cousin Soraya, whom everyone calls the Masked Angel because she never takes off her burqa, has come to help them pack.

Days pass, and one day, Ahmed’s grandmother dies. During her funeral, Pasha visits Doctor’s grave, and he is finally able to mourn him. The entire neighborhood joins Pasha; each person lays a red rose on the grave to honor Doctor. Afterward, Pasha feels better and decides he will go to the US to study, like his father wants him to. Worried for his safety, Pasha’s parents want him out of Iran.

As Pasha watches the Masked Angel from his rooftop, he begins to suspect that she is, in fact, Zari. He confronts her, and Zari confesses that she is alive. However, the Shah has exiled her and her family, which is why they are moving. A SAVAK agent threatened Pasha’s safety if Zari ever contacted him, so Zari hid herself from him. Pasha says he will stay back in Iran with her, but Zari urges him to go to the US and pursue his education, saying they can be together in the future when he returns.