The Little Black Fish and Other Modern Persian Stories (Three Continents Press)

Behrangi offers five children s stories that are notable for their realism and social significance. In keeping with his desire to combat ignorance and bridge the cultural gap between the rural poor and wealthy city dwellers and land owners, his stories do not shield children from knowledge about the pain and cruelty of life. Rather, they pay homage to the lives of the poor, who despite their powerlessness continue their struggle to survive both physically and intellectually. This edition of the book includes an essay by Gholam Husayn Sa edi.
Samad Behrangi (1939 1968) taught school in the rural villages of his native Azarbaijan province. Mary Hegland teaches social and cultural anthropology, Middle East studies, and Women s studies at Santa Clara University.