If you listen, I'll tell you a story.
-- Narrator (Pages 1 - 69)

Importance: The author establishes Daniel's distinct first person narrative voice on the first page of the novel. Because Daniel is desperate to understand who he is since leaving Isfahan, Iran, he is determined to tell his story in his own words. At this early juncture of the novel, he assumes the stance of the storyteller and addresses the reader directly. He wants the reader to know him, and believes that if he is honest and if the reader is patient, they can understand and even love one another. This moment is vital to understanding Daniel's overarching stylistic choices, and the reader's thematic explorations regarding identity, story, and love.

You are forgetting already. You're forgetting your own family. And your history.
-- Masoud (Pages 1 - 69)

Importance: When Daniel, Sima, and Dina leave Iran, Daniel's father, Masoud does not come with them. The entirety of Daniel and his father's relationship...