TEHRAN – The Iranian writer Majid Purvali completed the novel “Paper Swallow”, featuring the tragic incident of Iran Air Flight 655 (IR655) which was shot down by the U.S Vincennes on July 3, 1988.

On July 3, 1988, Iran Air Flight 655 (IR655) was shot down by U.S Vincennes on the Bandar Abbas-Dubai route, which resulted in the loss of 290 lives of innocent civilians from six nations including 66 children. There were 38 non-Iranians aboard.
The U.S. government to date has neither admitted any wrongdoing nor accepted responsibility for causing this tragic blunder, nor has it apologized. The men of the Vincennes were all awarded with medals and Commander Lustig, the air-warfare coordinator, even won the navy’s Commendation Medal for “heroic achievement”.
“Paper Swallow” centers on the life and personality of one of the flight attendants on board. It features his dream of flying since his childhood until the time he decides to become an airline steward on the flights.
Purvali’s other credits include “Paper Leila”, “A Whale Larger Than the Indian Ocean” and “The Songs Taken Away by the Wind”.