Title: The Fourth Wife of Aliyar Bey
Author: Helene Zulgadar & Nandita Jhaveri-Menon
Publisher: AuthorHouseUK
ISBN: 978-I-4969-9413-4
Pages: 244
Genre: Biography/Memoir
Reviewed by: Susan Brown
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Pacific Book Review
Capturing the highlights of a person’s life and weaving them into a story that transports us to another time and place makes for a great read. This memoir is just that. Nostalgia sets the tone as the exploits and escapades of Helen Zulgadar’s life unfold against the backdrop of the tumultuous 20th century in The Fourth Wife of Aliyar Bey.
As a child of White Russians who immigrated to Paris to escape the Bolshevik revolution, Ms. Zulgadar’s early life was influenced by the two cultures — a foot in the customs of her parent’s homeland and one in the traditions of her birthplace. Her father, a former Russian Colonel in a Cossack regiment, announced to her as a child, “We are Russian, but France gave us refuge, and you were born French.” This duality, established early on, served her well as her eventful life evolved. She seamlessly adapted to the different lifestyles and cultures in which she found herself — as a young wife in North Africa or traveling across the desert of Iraq or running a restaurant in Teheran.
From fashion model to a loveless first marriage with a Lieutenant in the French Foreign Legion to the fateful meeting in a military hospital in Paris of a charismatic and charming Iranian. Ms. Zulgadar’s story is a reminiscence of dramatic highs and poignant lows,particularly as the fourth wife of that charismatic Iranian, Aliyar Bey. She says of her marriage to him, “The roller coaster ride with the man who was to mark me for life was to last 25 years.” Much of that time was spent in Iran, married to a man in service to the Shah. As part of the inner circle of this reigning monarch, their lives were colored by mystery, clandestine undertakings and wild adventures, many of which tore at the fabric of their marriage, culminating in a separation. The details are painful to read, much like peeking into someone’s private diary and knowing you should put it down, but you just can’t stop yourself. Even in the midst of adversity, Ms. Zulgadar’s tenacious spirit is undeterred as she overcomes one hardship after another.
This narrative was composed from the recollections of Ms. Zulgadar in a series of conversations between her and Ms. Jhaveri-Menon. In her capable hands, she transforms these haunting musings into a fascinating story. The coming together of these two, an unusual an unlikely partnership, resulted in this poignant memoir.
The Fourth Wife of Aliyar Bey takes you on a lively journey through the eyes of one woman’s wistful look back at her life. This journey will remain with readers long after the reading is done.
