Cyrus Shams

Cyrus, the novel's main protagonist, is an Iranian-American man who finds himself grappling with substance abuse and addiction following the premature death of his mother, Roya, and the passing of his father, Ali. Cyrus, who aspires to be a poet, finds himself frustrated by the western-oriented rhetoric that is predominant in his addiction recovery meetings, and gradually begins to develop an interest in martyrs and martyrdom, which he hopes to transform into a book on the subject. Although Cyrus' interest in this subject matter fractures his relationship with his sponsor, Gabe, his friends Zee and Sad James are supportive of the endeavor, and suggest that he travel to New York City to meet an Iranian woman named Orkideh, who has decided to turn her death from a terminal illness into a public exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum.

Zee accompanies Cyrus to New York, where Cyrus quickly sets...