Kaveh Akbar’s Martyr! follows a young Iranian American, Cyrus Shams, who embarks on a journey to write a book about the concept of martyrdom. Born in Tehran, Cyrus came to America as an infant after his mother’s commercial plane was mistakenly shot down by the U.S. military. While his son is a sophomore in college, Cyrus’ father passes away. The novel depicts Cyrus as a young adult, now an orphaned, recovering addict, struggling to find the meaning of death. In short, Cyrus seeks to write a book of poetry about martyrdom in order to rationalize his own fear of death, the death of his parents, and the traditional Iranian obsession with finding meaning in mortality.
In his unforgettable debut novel, Akbar accurately portrays the struggle of addiction not as a short period of withdrawal but as a lifelong conflict. Much of the plot explores Cyrus and his relationship with others, including a dying artist with whom he meets for advice on his poetic interpretations of martyrdom.
Ultimately, Martyr! is a compelling work of fiction which draws on its author’s personal experiences and hardships to craft a powerful, thought-provoking analysis of the human condition’s sober reality.