Romance &; Revolution : A Leap of Faith at the Iranian National Ballet

Set against the glamorous backdrop of the Iranian National Ballet Company in 1970s Tehran, Romance and Revolution is the compelling memoir of Clair Symonds, a naive 19 year old Jewish dancer who grew up in apartheid South Africa, who sets off to join the national ballet company in Iran. Within a few months she has met and fallen in love with Arash Alizadeh, a dashing student of architecture. Much to both sets of parents' disdain, they marry, although Clair's Jewish roots are kept strictly under wraps. But Arash proves to be more charming in courtship and seduction than in wedlock and matrimony. Undeterred, Clair decides to marry for a second time. Does love conquer all? Are religious and cultural differences insurmountable? Read and decide for yourself.