Love, family and religion clash in the unforgettable novel from the internationally acclaimed author of Things We Left Unsaid, set in contemporary Iran

In a small town on the edge of the Caspian Sea, Edmond Lazarian and his best friend Tahereh pass their days playing together, drifting between the delights of beachcombing and the joys of the sherbet shop. Although Edmond is Armenian and Tahereh is the Muslim daughter of the school's janitor, they remain blissfully unaware of the disquiet that ripples the calm surface of their close-knit community.

But years later, when Edmond's daughter chooses to marry a Muslim, tension begins to build. Unable to continue ignoring the prejudices around him, Edmond is finally forced to make a choice, one that will haunt him for years to come.

For fans of Anne Tyler, The Space Between Us is a poignant, wistful story about belonging and otherness, pride and prejudice, and the pressures and family expectations that inform our decisions.

Zoya Pirzad is a renowned Iranian-Armenian writer and novelist. She is the author of the international bestseller Things We Left Unsaid, and her most recent collection of stories, The Bitter Taste of Persimmon, won the prize for Best Foreign Book of 2009 in France. She grew up in Abadan, Iran, and now lives in Yerevan, Armenia.