The Eagles of Hill 60

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Book Self Description

The Eagles of Hill 60 is the second novel in English translation by one of Iran's most prolific contemporary writers, Mohammad Reza Bayrami. The first volume, The Tales of Sabalan, is a bildungsroman that consists of two short novels, and was published in 2008. The Eagles of Hill 60 can also be considered a bildungsroman, although of a different variety and in a completely different setting. In contrast to The Tales of Sabalan, in which the backdrop to the story is a small remote mountain village in northern Iran away from the hustle and bustle of late twentieth century life, the setting of The Eagles of Hill 60 is the frontline in the longest and one of the most devastating wars of the same century. The Eagles of Hill 60 is set in the second half of the twentieth century, during the Iran-Iraq War. Living in the war zone, Ahmad, the protagonist of this story, is mainly preoccupied with natural elements and creatures, such as eagles, especially the eagle chick he rescues, raises, and names "Lightning." The title page of The Eagles of Hill 60 in Persian describes this story as a novel for young adults. While Bayrami’s prose style in this novel is deceptively simple, it is at the same time most engaging. At times when Ahmad reflects on his natural environment, the prose becomes somewhat poetic, which seems to counter the notion that the story is taking place on the frontline of a devastating war; however, Bayrami's simple prose style is capable of creating riveting scenes.