Daylight Forever
A true story about a young Bahá’í girl’s dangerous, solo escape from Iran to the US in search of safety and freedom.
A Story of Resilience, Hope and Tolerance
Daylight Forever: A Memoir
Daylight Forever is the memoir about Mahvash Khajavi-Harvey's dark and lonely escape from a terror-filled childhood as a Baha’i in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution and the Iraq-Iran War.
Just as today's "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests in Iran highlight the effects of women's violent oppression, the 2019 memoir illuminates the consequences of war and religious persecution as well as the denial of education and basic human rights — and the lengths to which refugees will go to find a new life. Her daring journey is the only possible option for a frightened teenager who seeks safety, hope, freedom, education and a place to call home.
This memoir is a story of hope and resilience, tolerance and acceptance. Mahvash illustrates our shared human destiny through the power of community and compassion. Her “happy ending” of becoming a successful businesswoman in the United States is inspiring.
Troubled by the disturbing immigration and refugee crisis at the US southern border, Mahvash, now a US citizen living in Seattle, wrote Daylight Forever to encourage compassion, tolerance and acceptance.
KUOW's Bill Radke interviewed the author for his podcast on March 17, 2021: "Now when I think of war, I picture a little girl praying for a spaceship that saves her from the night bombings, by taking her to a place of light and peace," he says. "I feel her religious faith in that peace, and in diversity and unity. I feel our cruelty to each other, and the love that’s larger. I appreciate the refugees who walk away from love, and everything they know, and become a part of the American story."