A Hundred Sweet Promises

by Sepehr Haddad

Overview

WINNER - 2023 AMERICAN FICTION AWARDS - Historical Fiction & Historical Romance

FINALIST - 2022 INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS - Historical Fiction & Literary Fiction

SHORTLIST - 2022 HAWTHORNE PRIZE - Historical Fiction

2022 GOLD CATEGORY WINNER - Historical Audiobook

AS FEATURED ON NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO (NPR)

A family secret revealed 40 years ago by a grandmother to her grandson is now an acclaimed Russian historical fiction novel. "A Hundred Sweet Promises" is the tale of the author's grandfather, Nasrosoltan, a famed composer, who on the eve of World War I travels from Persia to Russia to study classical music at the St. Petersburg Conservatory with such masters as Rimsky-Korsakov. While there, Nasrosoltan falls in love with a Romanov princess, but the royalty surrounding him considers this a forbidden love. Unexpectedly, the Tsar gets involved, and Nasrosoltan suddenly finds himself in a battle between head and heart while being carried forward on a wave of destiny toward an uncertain future. A novel based on a true story set against the backdrop of the final days of Imperial Russia.

KIRKUS REVIEWS

"...An exceedingly intelligent tale that thoughtfully juxtaposes the maddening effects of romantic love with the violent paroxysms of political insurrection. Furthermore, the reader is given a rare literary treat: a peek into distinct revolutionary periods-Russia and Iran in the early years of the 20th century and Iran in the century's last quarter. A dramatically affecting novel that is also politically astute." - "Kirkus Reviews"

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BOOK LIFE REVIEW

"....one of the peculiar pleasures of this novel is that its author seems deeply familiar with & fond of 19th century Russian literature; there are hints of Chekhov, of Tolstoy's "Kreutzer Sonata" and Pushkin's "The Queen of Spades." The narrative style evokes the writers of that period, and their influence is felt throughout the text. The novel is well-researched and convincingly recreates the pomp and glitter of St. Petersburg in the twilight of the Romanov empire. The story brings back how honor was an achievable ideal and nobility of character and behavior were the qualities sought after in a romantic hero and heroine. Nasrosoltan Minbashian is an appealing and vividly drawn romantic hero in his grandson's retelling of the ill-fated love between the Persian composer and the Russian princess ultimately wound up wed to Rasputin's assassin, Prince Felix Yusupov. Nasrosoltan's complex inner life and character are depicted with a sure hand."-"Publishers Weekly"

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sepehr Haddad's debut novel, "A Hundred Sweet Promises" is the winner of the 2023 American Fiction Awards in Historical Fiction & Historical Romance. The novel also received the 2022 HFC Gold Medal for Historical Audiobook. Sepehr is also a Universal Music Group (UMG) recording artist, with the Billboard chart-topping duo "Shahin & Sepehr."

For further information, visit: www.SepehrHaddad.com

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781732594302
Publisher:	Appleyard & Sons Publishing
Publication date:	03/23/2021
Pages:	302
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.68(d)

About the Author

Sepehr Haddad's debut novel, "A Hundred Sweet Promises" is the winner of the 2021 American Writers Award in Historical Fiction. The novel also received the 2021 Gold Medal in the Historical Romance Category of HFC. Sepehr is also a Universal Music Group (UMG) recording artist, with the Billboard chart-topping duo "Shahin & Sepehr."For further information, visit: www.SepehrHaddad.com

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: A Friday Turns Black

Chapter 2: A Lunch with Mami.

Chapter 3: The Reluctant Return

Chapter 4: Crossing the Caspian

Chapter 5: The Homecoming

Chapter 6: The Leader of the Band

Chapter 7: The Governor's Guest

Chapter 8: The Wager

Chapter 9: An Excursion to Margoon

Chapter 10: The Sonneteer of Shiraz

Chapter 11: A Letter from a Friend

Chapter 12: A Man of the Cloth

Chapter 13: An Unusual Request

Chapter 14: A Most Unfortunate Turn of the Wheel

Chapter 15: Two Answered Prayers

Chapter 16: Beauty Is in the Eye of the Beholder

Chapter 17: Sowing the Seeds of Doubt

Chapter 18: Black Eyes

Chapter 19: The Secret Meeting Place

Chapter 20: A Day at the Museum

Chapter 21: Arrogance of Ignorance

Chapter 22: The Invitation

Chapter 23: An Unexpected Guest

Chapter 24: Pen to Paper

Chapter 25: An Audience Granted

Chapter 26: A Change of Plan

Chapter 27: A Forbidden Love

Chapter 28: If You Have Little, Give of Your Heart

Chapter 29: The Pantheon of Khojivank

Chapter 30: The Love Note

Chapter 31: A Choice Is Made

Chapter 32: The Anthem

Appendix-Photographs

Editorial Reviews

07/19/2021

Haddad’s moving debut is based on the true story of Nasrollah, a Persian musician returning to Tehran from St. Petersburg Conservatory in 1905, half-way through his studies, to help his father establish musical education in their own country. Struggling to adjust, Nasrollah, who goes by the honorary title of Nasrosoltan, initially worries that his ambitions will be frustrated, but eventually enjoys success as the leader of a military band. When his mentor and professor dies, Nasrosoltan returns to St. Petersburg and meets the elegant Madame Lazar, private music tutor to the Princess Irina, and sets off a chain of events leading to a passionate love affair that crosses class lines, all as revolutionary violence grips Russia.

Inspired by true stories passed down from the author’s grandmother about his grandfather, Nasrosoltan, Haddad’s novel uses fiction to bring life to family history. His portraits of Persian influence on Russian court life at the turn of the 20th century are compelling, and family photographs add a personal touch that readers will appreciate. That history adds power to Haddad’s depiction of Nasrosoltan yearning for the vibrancy of St. Petersburg and his talented peers or his thrill at returning during “babe leto, or ‘grandmother’s summer,’ those rare days that summer’s comforts extended well into the fall.”

As a storyteller, Haddad relies heavily on exposition, with incidents often summarized rather than fully dramatized, and the characters have a habit of recounting anecdotes that are not entirely connected to their development or the needs of the story. This, along with some clunky dialogue—“What have you done? The governor is terribly upset that you escorted Shamsi to Margoon and were alone with her for two nights”—diminish the impact of the narrative. But the plot and tone are quite operatic, which will appeal to readers who enjoy dramatic historical fiction.

Takeaway: A deeply personal historical novel blending music, love, and turn-of-the-century revolutionary politics.

Great for fans of: Vanora Bennet’s Midnight in St Petersburg, Anne Glenconner’s Lady in Waiting.

Production grades Cover: B Design and typography: B Illustrations: N/A Editing: B Marketing copy: B

BookLife Reviews

2021-05-26
An ambitious Persian composer falls illicitly in love with the Russian princess he tutors in this novel based on a true story.

Nasrollah Minbashian travels from Tehran, the city of his birth, to Russia with his father, Salar Moazaz, to study at the St. Petersburg Conservatory under the direction of renowned composer Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov. Nasrollah remains there for seven years, falls deeply in love with the city and its cosmopolitan culture, and regrets leaving when the time comes. Back at home, Nasrollah flourishes as a musician in Tehran and is appointed the director of a military band. The Persian king bestows on him the honorary title Nasrosoltan. Still, he pines to return to St. Petersburg and become a daring composer like Stravinsky, though his “domineering father” wants him to settle down and start a family. Nasrollah finally returns to Russia but gambles his way into dire financial straits, and he’s compelled to take a job as piano tutor to Princess Irina Alexandrovna, the czar’s niece. Nasrollah is unhappy with the assignment, but he eventually falls for Irina while realizing that their love is almost certainly doomed. Staying in St. Petersburg would be the fulfillment of a dream and probably torpedo his career. “You know it was always my dream to live and compose in this great city. But I now realize I will remain a nobody if I stay here, just a piano tutor to some. Even though I believe I am a worthy composer, there are hundreds of composers in this city who cannot make a living through their work.” Haddad bases the novel on his own grandfather of the same name, relating a story he was told while in Tehran in 1978 in advance of Iran’s Islamic Revolution. He astutely sets the drama of Nasrollah’s love affair against both the tumult of his time and his grandfather’s time; in the early 20th century, both Russia and Tehran were experiencing profound political discontent as calls for reform became increasingly urgent. Nasrollah is an enticingly complex character—musically gifted and deeply ambitious, even haughty, he learns a remarkable humility from the experience of lost love. In florid terms that flirt with melodrama, Haddad depicts his anguish: “Nasrosoltan’s whole being felt pained, knowing full well there was no remedy: the pain that seems it will never depart the body, which is ever-present and relentless, like a thief, robbing the victim of sleep, appetite, and any joy or purpose.” The novel, despite its brevity, unfolds far too slowly, and the prose ranges from unspectacular to overwrought. However, this remains an exceedingly intelligent tale that thoughtfully juxtaposes the maddening effects of romantic love with the violent paroxysms of political insurrection. Furthermore, the reader is given a rare literary treat: a peek into distinct revolutionary periods—Russia and Iran in the early years of the 20th century and Iran in the century’s last quarter.

A dramatically affecting novel that is also politically astute.

Kirkus Reviews