TEHRAN_The audio version of the book “Ashoon” written by the Iranian author Tahereh Rafat has been released on the Persian audiobook platforms.

Narrated by Rafat and Bahman Vakhshour, the audiobook is produced by Avaye Chirok, a major institute that produces audiobooks in Iran, and has a runtime of 3 hours and 13 minutes.

The book, whose print edition was published by Shalgardan Publications, tells the story of a girl named Khazandokht (literally meaning Autumn Girl), whose life, much like her name, is autumnal and cold. 

The narrator of “Ashoon” has lived through many harsh and turbulent days and does not know when the spring days of her life will arrive or whether they will arrive at all.

The concerns Rafat portrays in her story stem from thoughts and anxieties that most of us experience to some degree: questions of identity, regret over the past, and living with hope and despair about the future.

The experience of womanhood is not without pain and turmoil. Khazandokht has also seen many difficult days. As she recalls her childhood years and her father's house, she sees many gray images; a house without love. Who knows when love will knock on one's door? The narrator of the novel, amidst a storm of terrifying events, finally finds the light of her life in a corner of the city.

Tahereh Refat, the creator of this romantic story, writes with a delicate and poetic style. She portrays the emotional state of her protagonist with great subtlety, blending the bitter atmosphere of the story with sensory descriptions.

From the very beginning, “Ashoon” draws the reader into a world of longing, search for identity, and inner conflict. Autumn, this mysterious and sad season, is present not only as the background of the story but also as an internal concept in the main character; a season that is intertwined with birth, depression, and acceptance of fate. 

From the very first lines, the narrator, with a bitter and reflective look, reveals a sense of dissatisfaction with herself and her life. She even feels alienated in her own body, searching for something beyond what she is; the hands she would like to exchange with others, the identity she wants to change, and even the gender she wishes to be different. All of this indicates a deep inner crisis; a crisis that is rooted not only in her being, but also in the society that surrounds her. 

In “Ashoon,” the author speaks of the wounded and depressed human psyche; to depict this turmoil, she artfully blurs the line between reality and dream, ultimately placing a central question before the audience: for someone who fails to find their path in life, can “being lost” become a way toward salvation?

Editing and sound design of the audiobook has been done by Hasti Sadeqi and Bahman Vakhshour has also served as the production manager of the book.

SS/SAB