“Mehri Yalfani’s stories in this new collection, The Street of Butterflies, are part of her growing repertoire of the travails and triumphs (more the former than the latter) of displacement, cultural change, and struggles for survival and adaptation. The stories, at the same time, judiciously reflect the racial, gendered, and cultural hang-ups of these same individuals who carry with them their old land’s biases and fixed norms to the new land. This book is a welcome addition to the genre of works written by authors writing in a language not their own, who have come, or try to come, to terms with the complexity of language and culture.”
–Haideh Moghissi, Professor Emerita and Senior Scholar, York University, Toronto

“Mehri Yalfani’s collection of short stories touched me with their nostalgic and vital quality. These accounts of the joys and difficulties that people from different cultures face as they learn to adapt to their new home give readers an important glimpse into how people deal with the daily tensions of living in two cultures, and made for compelling reading.”
–Nasreen Pejvack, author of Amity

“The Street of Butterflies is a collection of poignant stories that need to be shared. Mehri Yalfani is unflinching as she draws readers into the lives of women who long for safety as they live in fear of arrest, abuse and the confines of patriarchy. Those who manage to escape are confronted with the challenges of assimilation and sexism as well as cultural and economic hostility. These tales are presented with searing honesty, drawing readers into an encounter with authentic characters who are navigating critical issues and circumstances.”
— Lucy E.M. Black, author of The Marzipan Fruit Basket and Eleanor Courtown