Open Wide the Doors
A Memoir of Faith, Hope and Freedom in Iran
Oneworld Publications · Print & ebook · August 18, 2026
A courageous memoir from a prize-winning poet and prisoner of conscience in Iran In March 2008, the Intelligence Bureau of Mashhad summoned Mahvash Sabet.
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- Who it’s for
- Mahvash Sabet documents her first ten months in prison, from Mashhad to Evin, in Iran.
- Themes
- faith, hope, freedom
- Pacing
- Reflective
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Start with this bookAbout this book
A courageous memoir from a prize-winning poet and prisoner of conscience in Iran In March 2008, the Intelligence Bureau of Mashhad summoned Mahvash Sabet. She told her husband she would be back home in Tehran by the evening. She wouldn’t be released for ten years. The authorities would go on to arrest every other member of the Yárán-i-Irán, the community representatives for Iran’s most persecuted religious minority: the Bahá’ís.
Continue reading
Documenting Mahvash Sabet’s first ten months of incarceration, in Mashhad and later Evin Prison, Open Wide the Doors is a portrait of Iranian society behind prison walls. It thrums with compassion for Iran’s thieves, prostitutes, and even prison guards. If you keep your heart open, Sabet proves, no judge, interrogator or torturer can crush your soul.
Behind Prison Walls
Mahvash Sabet documents her first ten months in prison, from Mashhad to Evin, in Iran.
Come here for
- Sabet’s first ten months of incarceration in Mashhad and Evin Prison
- A portrait of Iranian society behind prison walls
Expect
- A memoir of incarceration and the persecution of Iran’s Bahá’ís
- Compassion for prisoners and guards alike
Where it sits
| Baha'i Faith | 53% |
|---|---|
| Personal Memoirs | 44% |
| Religious Persecution & Conflict | 23% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Personal Memoirs
- Human Rights
- Baha'i Faith
- Religious Persecution & Conflict
- Authors
- Mahvash Sabet
- Publisher
- Oneworld Publications
- Published
- August 18, 2026
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- faith · hope · freedom
- Reading lane
- Personal Memoirs