The Iranian Revolution was “one of the small handful of revolutions that spurred change on a truly global scale,” writes author Scott Anderson. But like a tsunami, the rebellion was rooted in events that occurred much earlier, at the dawn of the twentieth century, when the country awoke from centuries-old slumber to modernize. Insight into the roots of the Islamic Revolution is essential to understanding the current Iranian regime.

In a lecture series, author Afarin Ordubadi Bellisario, an MIT-educated technologist-turned-novelist, will discuss the radical social and political changes that accompanied the country's modernization, the pivotal role of women, and how these themes are explored in her novel, Silenced Whispers.

The critically acclaimed novel is the winner of Independent Publishers of New England's silver medal for genre fiction and an honorable mention at the New York Book Festival. It transports the reader to the enchanting world of early 20th-century Iran, guided by a spirited young woman who stands up against oppression and colonial power grab and sacrifices all for freedom and love.