'This haunting, magical novel spans centuries and continents, weaving together themes of migration, war, family, and the endurance of love against all odds. Captivating, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting, Forty Nights is a testament to the transformative power of story, and Pirooz Jafari is an extraordinary storyteller.' – Emily Bitto, author of The Strays and Wild Abandon This story came to me and entered my soul. It did not need a key or an invite, for it already belonged. It walked in, shook my foundation and set my heart on fire. We danced around the flames and with every twirl, I grabbed a few words until I was burnt to ashes. Tishtar runs a small legal practice in Melbourne where he has a new client, Habiba, who seeks to bring her orphan nieces to Australia from war-torn Somalia. He is also a migrant, having left the civil unrest in Iran to find a new life in a new country. As Tishtar becomes...