Donya Norouzi

Donya symbolizes to Baba what he thinks Niloo would be like if she had stayed in Iran. Baba sees Donya in the first chapter in divorce court, as Donya pleads with the judge for a divorce. He then calls her and meets with her in his dental practice, giving her an envelope of money. Donya Norouzi’s name translates to “A New-Year World” which is the title of one of the chapters from Baba’s perspective in 2009 Isfahan (189). When he meets with her, Baba thinks of how she reminds him of Niloo, and wonders if Niloo’s life would have turned out similarly to this woman - smart and stubborn but stuck in a bad marriage in Iran. In their meeting, Donya suggests to Baba that he leave Iran, and immediately afterwards he makes the decision to flee. His conversation with Donya is the conversation...