Khānevādeh-ye Nīk-Akhtar Persian 2025

The Nik-Akhtar Family is a new novel by the renowned Iranian satirist Iraj Pezeshkzad, which humorously yet thoughtfully depicts the migration of an Iranian family to the United States. The main characters are Mahmoud and Badri Nik-Akhtar, their children Farhad and Farshteh, Badri’s mother (Khanoom Bozorg), and a young village girl named Fati who accompanies them.

The story begins when the family becomes guests of Khân-Amu, a former university professor and Mahmoud’s old classmate who has come to the United States for leisure. Through everyday encounters and seemingly ordinary events, Pezeshkzad explores cultural differences, comic situations arising from linguistic and behavioral misunderstandings, and the challenges of migration within the framework of family and social relationships.

The novel carries Pezeshkzad’s trademark sharp yet gentle satire, familiar from his celebrated work My Uncle Napoleon. With vivid characterization and lively dialogue, he creates a tangible portrayal of the Iranian immigrant experience in America in past decades—one that is humorous, insightful, and deeply reflective at the same time.