Description

‘THE WEIRD THING IS, I’M MORE INTERESTED IN MY MOTHER NOW SHE’S DEAD.’

‘Intoxicating’ KATIE
KITAMURA

‘Powerful’ R. O. KWON

‘A spellbinding fever dream’ JONATHAN
ESCOFFREY

After a lifetime together, Heti thought she knew her mother inside out. She’s about to discover how wrong she was.

Heti moves in a daze of grief after her mother dies, until her life is upended by the arrival of an unmarked package containing photographs of her mother as a young woman in Iran, enveloped head to toe in a black veil, pointing a machine gun at a group of sobbing young women.

Unable to confront the one person she most wants answers from, she turns to the women around her, listening to their surprising, funny and often contradictory stories. Through them, she realises that every woman contains hidden lives and private truths.

So when it falls to her to organise a memorial marking the first anniversary of her mother’s death, Heti gathers the women who knew her best and asks them: Who was my mother? And who are we?

Original, sparkling with wit and layered with tenderness, Female Life on Planet Earth is a celebration of womanhood, perfect for fans of Good Girl by Aria Aber and The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji.

Publisher Review

‘ Female Life on Planet Earth contemplates existence in ways funny, sad, wise and absurd. I loved it.’ Sanam Mahloudji, author of The Persians ‘Female Life on Planet Earth is intoxicating. Khadivi writes with bristling intelligence and real beauty.’ Katie Kitamura, author of Audition ‘A layered, profound story that made me laugh and cry, it feels both immediate and enduring, an instant favourite I can already imagine as a future classic.’ Seth Insua, author of Human, Animal ‘Female Life on Planet Earth is a spellbinding fever dream. A wholly engrossing deep dive into womanhood and loss. A must-read revelation of a book.’ Jonathan Escoffery, author of If I Survive You ‘A sumptuous journey… Full of history, gentle sorrow, bright and pulsing joy and family. A maze of emotion that connects strangers and family alike. This is one of those rare gems that sits in your chest long after you read the last word.’ Onyi Nwabineli, author of Allow Me to Introduce Myself ‘A laugh-out-loud, shocking, moving and deeply human story that illuminates the complexity of Iran’s history and its people. Full of surprises, wit and depth, Female Life on Planet Earth is an exquisitely beautiful and highly original novel that I won’t be able to forget.’ Nguyen Phan Que Mai, author of The Mountains Sing ‘Sharp, witty and deeply poignant, Female Life on Planet Earth captures the multiplicity and complexity of womanhood, motherhood, and the known and unknown things that shape who we are with remarkable insight. A stunning new novel from Laleh Khadivi.’ Shani Akilah, author of For Such a Time As This ‘Lyrical and startlingly funny.’ The Bookseller ‘As hilarious as it is profoundly moving, Laleh Khadivi’s multitudinous Female Life on Planet Earth is so very wise about love and its intimate attendant, sorrow. Powerful, startling, and marvelously vibrant.’ R. O. Kwon, author of Exhibit ‘Deeply moving, strange, funny… A beautiful, poetic work on the elemental bond between mothers and daughters, or the earth and her moon.’ Kirkus, Starred Review