Killing Gilda by Yahya Gharagozlou
Publication Date November 4, 2024
A beautiful 19-year-old named Gilda becomes the mistress of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, from 1965 to 1979. She dreams of becoming his wife. It’s a historically accurate foundation for a story full of intrigue and rare glimpses into the Shah’s life of excesses.
Early in the novel, the narrator follows clues about Gilda’s death two years after the affair. The narrator works for the SAVAK, the notorious intelligence agency. During an assassination attempt on the Shah, he gets shot in the rump on the steps of the Marble Palace.
As he puts it, “I took a bullet for my king up the ass and got a jester’s seat, the best seat, to watch the fall of the Persian Empire.” For his backdoor bravery, he gets transferred to the Court of the Shah to take on the responsibilities of a pimp and a jester. We follow the characters through the Paris of Madame Claude, the Shah’s ski resort at St. Moritz, and Doctor Pitanguy’s plastic surgery clinic in Baden Baden.
This is the story of the narrator’s risky ventures in the rarified atmosphere of the court, the young woman’s life, and the reasons for her death. It is also a compelling portrait of a royal dynasty whose fall has had a profound impact on the modern world.
The recent women’s protests in Iran will heighten interest in the book, especially for the young women who did not live in the seventies.
Yahya Gharagozlou
Born in Iran, Yahya Gharagozlou earned an MFA from the University of New Hampshire. He has published short stories in The Kenyon and Massachusetts Review. He currently resides in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Learn more about the author.
