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Biography & Autobiography. Multi-Cultural. Sociology. Nonfiction. HTML:NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER �?� �??There�??s such warmth to Dumas�?? writing that it invites the reader to pull up a seat at her table and smile right along with her at the quirks of her family and Iranians and Americans in general.�?��??Booklist In the New York Times bestselling memoir Funny in Farsi, Firoozeh Dumas recounted her adventures growing up Iranian American in Southern California. Now she again mines her rich Persian heritage in Laughing Without an Accent, sharing stories both tender and humorous on being a citizen of the world, on her well-meaning family, and on amusing cultural conundrums, all told with insights into the universality of the human condition. (Hint: It may have to do with brushing and flossing daily.) With dry wit and a bold spirit, Dumas puts her own unique mark on the themes of family, community, and tradition. She braves the uncommon palate of her French-born husband and learns the nuances of having her book translated for Persian audiences (the censors edit out all references to ham). And along the way, she reconciles her beloved Iranian customs with her Western ideals. Explaining crossover cultural food fare, Dumas says, �??The weirdest American culinary marriage is yams with melted marshmallows. I don�??t know who thought of this Thanksgiving tradition, but I�??m guessing a hyperactive, toothless three-year-old.�?� On Iranian wedding anniversaries: �??It just initially seemed odd to celebrate the day that �??our families decided we should marry even though I had never met you, and frankly, it�??s not working out so well.�??�?� On trying to fit in with her American peers: �??At the time, my father drove a Buick LeSabre, a fancy French word meaning �??OPEC thanks you.�??�?� Dumas also documents her first year as a new mother, the familial chaos that ensues after she removes the television set from the house, the experience of taking fifty-one family members on a birthday cruise to Alaska, and a road trip to Iowa with an American once held hostage in Iran. Droll, moving, and relevant, Laughing Without an Accent shows how our differences can unite us�??and provides indelible proof that Firoozeh Dumas is a humorist of the highest order. Praise for Laughing Without an Accent �??Dumas is one of those rare people: a naturally gifted storyteller.�?��??Alexander McCall Smith �??Laughing Without an Accent is written . . . as if Dumas were sharing a cup of coffee with her reader as she relates her comic tales. . . . Firoozeh Dumas exudes undeniable charm [as she] reveals a zeal for culture�??both new and old�??and the enduring bonds of a family filled with outsize personalities.�?��??San Francisco Chronicle �??[Dumas is] like a blend of Anne Lamott and Erma Bombeck.�?��??Bust �??Humorous without be… (more)
User reviews
Laughing Without An Accent is Dumas’ second novel (she published Funny in Farsi in 2003 to rave reviews). It is a collection of vignettes which give the reader insight into the melding of cultures and the struggles (often humorous) of immigrants living in the United States. Her stories reflect the difference between the generations in how immigrants adapt to life in another culture - and her affectionate and hilarious reflections on her parents were some of my favorite parts of the book, such as when Dumas and her French husband host Christmas at their home in San Francisco:
'My parents always buy wrapping paper on sale, paying attention only to the pretty colors. As Francois held his stack of gifts, all emblazoned with “Happy Birthday!” and “Congratulations, Graduate!” he looked a bit puzzled. A steep learning curve lay head of him.' -From Laughing Without An Accent, page 97-
Dumas’ memoir strikes just the right balance between lightheartedness and reflection on deeper issues. When she shares that “the only time I felt like a complete foreigner was in college,” the reader sympathizes. Likewise, her recollections of the Iranian Hostage Crisis and how it impacted her family filled me with dismay at the prejudice towards immigrants which came about as a result of that event.
Witty, warm and compassionate - Laughing Without An Accent is a memoir worth reading.
Recommended
“. . . to deny someone an education is not just a crime but a sin, because you are denying that person the
The stories are conversational in tone and vary from Dumas’s childhood recollections of life in Iran to attending school in the United States to her experiences as a mother. Reading the first chapter, I discovered that she’d published a prior set of memoirs which had been very successful in Iran, despite an entire chapter being censored. Laughing Without an Accent stands on it’s own, but I do really want to get a hold of her first book, Funny in Farsi.
So many of Dumas’s antecedents are hilarious. I love her descriptions of why all the men in her family wear navy blue velar jogging suits to the time when her French husband decided to cook Christmas dinner for her parents. I also love stories from her childhood, such as how she’d entertain herself by listening in on the shared phone line or how every evening her family would go out on the apartment’s balcony and watch the excitement at the neighboring police show, which once contained an entire wedding party who’d been arrested for excessive honking.
“My father always said that hatred is a waste and never an option. He learned this growing up in Ahwaz, Iran, in a Muslim household. I have tried my best to pass the same message to my children, born and raised in the United States. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter where we learn that lesson. It’s just important that we do.”
Although much of Laughing Without an Accent is funny, other points are more serious. Sometimes Dumas is sharing advice and wisdom that’s been important to her own life. Other times she’s talking about difficulties she’s faced. After the revolution in Iran and the beginnings of the hostage situation, Dumas’s father was unemployable and much of American was actively hostile and hateful to Iranians.
“It all happened so fast. It seemed like on Monday, everyone was asking us if our carpets really do fly. Then on Friday, those same people were putting “I Play Cowboys and Iranians” bumper stickers on their cars. I was fourteen, and all this sudden hatred really got me thinking. What type of person would make bumper stickers announcing hatred?”
I definitely recommend Laughing Without an Accent. It’s different from the normal sort of book I read, but I am very glad I picked it up. Even when she’s describing difficulties in her life, there’s just so much humanity in the way she writes. If you ever come across a copy of Laughing Without an Accent, I would encourage you to pick it up.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.