---

A modern-day glimpse into the surprising reality of life in Iran.

---

Included in the 2018 summer reading list by New York Times Books A modern-day glimpse into the surprising reality of life in Iran. Iran: A destination that is seldom seen by westerners yet often misunderstood. A country that simultaneously "enchants and enrages" those who visit it. A place where leading a double life has become the norm. In Couchsurfing in Iran, award-winning author Stephan Orth spends sixty-two days on the road in this mysterious Islamic republic to provide a revealing, behind-the-scenes look at life in one of the world´s most closed societies. Through the unsurpassed hospitality of twenty-two hosts, he skips the guidebooks and tourist attractions and travels from Persian carpet to bed to cot, covering more than 8,400 kilometers to recount "this world´s hidden doings." Experiencing daily what he calls the "two Irans" that coexist side by side-the "theocracy, where people mourn their martyrs" in mausoleums, and the "hide-and-seek-ocracy, where people hold secret parties and seek worldly thrills instead of spiritual bliss"-he learns that Iranians have become experts in navigating around their country´s strict laws. Though couchsurfing is officially prohibited in Iran-the state fears spies would be able to travel undetected through the country-more than a hundred thousand Iranians are registered with online couchsurfing portals. And thanks to these hospitable, English-speaking strangers, Orth gets up close and personal with locals, peering behind closed doors and blank windows to uncover the inner workings of a country where public show and private reality are strikingly opposed.

---

"Orth used the internet to launch himself into a fantastical realm that happens to be real." - Liesl Schillinger, New York Times

"A breezy narrative that offers a couch-level view of Iran that you won´t find in travel guides." - Kirkus Reviews

[Orth"] revels in the small details of Iranian life. - Morley Walker, Winnipeg Free Press

---

Stephan Orth is an award-winning journalist and best-selling author. For nine years, he was online travel editor for Der Spiegel, one of Germany´s top news magazines, and he has contributed to National Geographic, the Courier-Mail, and Time Off magazine, among other publications. His next book, Couchsurfing in Russia, will publish in fall 2018. He lives in Hamburg, Germany.

---