--- product_id: 687696384 title: "Martyr! (National Book Award Finalist): A Novel" price: "VT5488" currency: VUV in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.vu/products/687696384-martyr-national-book-award-finalist-a-novel store_origin: VU region: Vanuatu --- # Martyr! (National Book Award Finalist): A Novel **Price:** VT5488 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Martyr! (National Book Award Finalist): A Novel - **How much does it cost?** VT5488 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vu](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/687696384-martyr-national-book-award-finalist-a-novel) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • SHORTLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD • ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW'S 10 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR • A TIME MUST-READ BOOK OF THE YEAR • A newly sober, orphaned son of Iranian immigrants, guided by the voices of artists, poets, and kings, embarks on a remarkable search for a family secret that leads him to a terminally ill painter living out her final days in the Brooklyn Museum. Electrifying, funny, and wholly original , Martyr! heralds the arrival of an essential new voice in contemporary fiction. “Kaveh Akbar is one of my favorite writers. Ever.” —Tommy Orange, Pulitzer Prize–nominated author of There There “The best novel you'll ever read about the joy of language, addiction, displacement, martyrdom, belonging, homesickness.” —Lauren Groff, best-selling author of Matrix and Fates and Furies Cyrus Shams is a young man grappling with an inheritance of violence and loss: his mother’s plane was shot down over the skies of the Persian Gulf in a senseless accident; and his father’s life in America was circumscribed by his work killing chickens at a factory farm in the Midwest. Cyrus is a drunk, an addict, and a poet, whose obsession with martyrs leads him to examine the mysteries of his past—toward an uncle who rode through Iranian battlefields dressed as the angel of death to inspire and comfort the dying, and toward his mother, through a painting discovered in a Brooklyn art gallery that suggests she may not have been who or what she seemed. Kaveh Akbar’s Martyr! is a paean to how we spend our lives seeking meaning—in faith, art, ourselves, others. Review: Beautiful prose, so thought provoking and poignant - This is a very talented writer. Each character had their own voice and the depth of thought was surprising and exciting Review: Thought-Provoking, Poetic, and Unforgettable - A Novel is one of those rare books that lingers long after you finish it. The writing is absolutely beautiful—lyrical and poetic without feeling forced—and it elevates what could have been a simple story into something much more profound. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #1,246 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #3 in LGBTQ+ Family Life Fiction (Books) #4 in LGBTQ+ Literary Fiction (Books) #120 in Literary Fiction (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.2 out of 5 stars 12,032 Reviews | ## Images ![Martyr! (National Book Award Finalist): A Novel - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81CTC+CUSfL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Beautiful prose, so thought provoking and poignant *by J***D on May 21, 2026* This is a very talented writer. Each character had their own voice and the depth of thought was surprising and exciting ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thought-Provoking, Poetic, and Unforgettable *by S***I on March 29, 2026* A Novel is one of those rare books that lingers long after you finish it. The writing is absolutely beautiful—lyrical and poetic without feeling forced—and it elevates what could have been a simple story into something much more profound. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Immigrant Experience *by S***D on January 6, 2026* Cyrus Shams is an Iranian immigrant, although he came to the United States as a baby so identifies with both his Middle Eastern and his American backgrounds. His mother was shot down in a plane by the American military on a commercial flight when Cyrus was four months old so he has no memory of her. His father decided to come to the United States to make a new life for he and Cyrus but could only find factory work, killing chickens in a processing plant. Cyrus has one uncle left in Iran, his mother's brother. He suffers from PSTD from his role in the war with Iraq where he rode the battlefield dressed in black, offering comfort to those left dying there. Now as an adult, Cyrus isn't sure what he will do. He went off the deep end for quite a while, drinking and doing drugs. He has been sober for about a year now and considering writing a book about martyrs as he feels he has extensive knowledge of them. Cyrus is a poet and unsure if his book will be in prose or verse. He also plays with the idea of doing away with himself as another example of a martyr. Cyrus hears of an art installation in New York. An Iranian female artist is dying, a victim of cancer. She is choosing to live out her life at the museum, sitting and willing to talk with any of the museum patrons. Cyrus is fascinated with this and along with his best friend and sometime lover, goes to New York to see what the woman has to say about martyrship. Will she change his mind? Kaveh Akbar is an Iranian immigrant himself, born in Iran but now in the United States where he teaches in Iowa. He has two books of published poetry and his work has appeared in many magazines. He is the poet editor of The Review. This is his debut novel and it is shortlisted for the National Book Award, a Times Best 10 Book and a New York Time's Book Review 10 Best Books of the Year. Cyrus will pluck the heartstrings of the reader as they cheer him on, hoping that he can find peace and a reason to live. Poetry, the immigrant experience and the high rate of addiction among those whose lives start in chaos are discussed. This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction and those interested in the lives of those from other cultures. ## Frequently Bought Together - Martyr!: A Novel - James (Pulitzer Prize Winner): A Novel - The God of the Woods: A Novel --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.vu/products/687696384-martyr-national-book-award-finalist-a-novel](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/687696384-martyr-national-book-award-finalist-a-novel) --- *Product available on Desertcart Vanuatu* *Store origin: VU* *Last updated: 2026-06-01*