Some people don’t choose to leave. Leaving chooses them.
Post-revolution Iran has its own quiet logic. Keep your head down. Blend in. Survive. But for those whose very existence puts them at odds with the state, invisibility is not a long-term strategy – it’s only a matter of time.
Behrooz has built a carefully constructed life in Tehran. Educated in Paris, working as an interior designer, he moves through the city with practised caution. Then a single night – a raid on a private club, an officer with a camera, a list of names – tears that careful life apart. Everything he has protected about himself is suddenly exposed.
Far to the east, near the Afghan border, Solayman has grown up knowing a different kind of hardship. The youngest son in a large farming family, he is quick, curious and hungry for a world larger than his village. Working at a market stall in Zabol opens a door – but the door he eventually walks through leads into trafficking, and then into something far more dangerous. The Taliban do not forgive a failed shipment.
Two men. Two lives shaped by forces they didn’t invite and can’t control. Each, alone, reaches the same conclusion – that staying in Iran is no longer possible. The journey toward the West is desperate and uncertain, the papers forged, the risks real. And somewhere along the way, their paths finally cross.
Iran, We Ran is a novel about what people leave behind and what survival actually costs. It is told with restraint, precision and a deep understanding of the human stories behind headlines about migration, persecution and displacement.
A novel that draws you into lives shaped by politics, identity and the need to belong.
The author is a retired Australian lawyer whose career brought him into close contact with people attempting to migrate from less-developed countries to the Western world. Over many years, he witnessed the legal, emotional and cultural toll of displacement – both through his work and through his own experience of migration.
Extensive travel throughout the Middle East, including Iran, Syria and Lebanon, further deepened his understanding of the lives behind migration statistics and political debate.
Those experiences shape Iran, We Ran, a novel written with restraint, empathy and an acute awareness of what it means to leave everything behind.
It was a pleasure to meet former lawyer Garrie Boldsmith, whose first novel ‘Iran, We Ran’ has been one of our fastest selling books of 2026.
By Art on King Bookstore, Newtown NSW
This entertaining and informative read’s release is very timely, given the current geo-political climate.
I felt I really grew to know the main characters and understand them and their situations and could empathise with them. The plot is well-developed and proceeds at a steady pace with plenty of intrigues and twists to maintain the suspense and engage my attention and curiosity all the way through.
Highly recommended.
By Chrissie J.
This book is so timely given the current geopolitical situation we find ourselves in. It shines a light on the regime in Iran and the author obviously has a deep and sensitive understanding of the region, as he does for the Australian context of the content. I liked the authors writing style and the underlying (understated) humour. The characters were honest and authentic.
By Sue W.
A wonderful novel, full of suspense and surprises , also easy to read. Could not put this book down, written in way that captivates the reader. Both dark and light at the same time.
You never knew which direction the main characters will end up. Well, done to the author.
By Mark F.
“Iran We Ran” is a quick read. The author gives a concise overview of constrictions in current Iran and a good overview of Australia, a land of possibilities for new life for so many immigrants. What stands out for me, is how people in compromised circumstances behave and manage their lives, possibly making choices on the dark side. How would one walk in another’s shoes? The story’s ending was abrupt. I wished that it had a different closure.
By M.G.
Thoroughly enjoyed reading Iran We Ran. A story plot I didn’t think I’d enjoy, but once I started it, I couldn’t put the book down! Full of suspense and surprises.
By Lee F.
There is something special about a novel that you can truly lose yourself in. This novel you can’t put down!
It certainly is an eye opener. Congratulations to the author, well done.
By Jenny H.
This is a captivating story that transports you around the world and shines a light on the plight of numerous marginalised communities. A timely and important read given current geopolitical events. Highly recommend – it’s both educational and entertaining.
By Simone G
Suspenseful, refreshing and informative. Empathy and honesty in the characters allows for human relatedness in their journey and future from a hostile, repressive country. An easy read.
By M.S.
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