"SAID is an Iranian-born exile, long resident in Germany where he has become a literary star. However, for his books, he still uses his first name only, apparently for reasons of security. In this book, his first to appear in English, he has produced an eloquent memoir of both his mother country and his real mother, from whom he was separated when he was very young. Tributes have poured in for this sparse and unillusioned account of loss and dislocation, which deals with the psychological consequences of a homelessness that is national and cultural just as much as familial."
— Financial Times
"The Iranian-born SAID has been exiled in Germany for over 35 years and writes in German. He uses only his last name for what he claims are security reasons. Yet he packs volumes into this brief, poetic memoir. How does one prepare to meet a mother seen only once since birth? The book follows his preparations for the meeting, the meeting itself, and then the aftereffects, which lasted ten years before he could write about it. The portrait he presents is of a man trying hard not to be swallowed up by his mother's love and of a strict, self-centered woman who is faithful to a regime he long ago left behind. Readers quickly realize that this woman has reappeared merely to exonerate herself from blame. Once that is accomplished, her son fades back into nonexistence. 'We did not become lovers,' he confesses, startling readers with his choice of words. This book fascinates with its detailed portrait of a foreign culture and forges an emotional connection with anyone who's ever been a son, daughter, or mother."
— Rochelle Ratner, Library Journal