The best stories are true stories.

Tehran, 1969. An Assyrian fortune teller, who is well-known for her accurate predictions, informs a young woman, Mahin, that she would soon meet a young man with blond hair and blue eyes and travel the world.

John, a British Engineer, is posted on a temporary assignment to Iran to estimate the costs of one of the Shah’s most prestigious construction projects. Following his arrival, he receives an unexpected invitation to the races where he catches sight of a breathtakingly beautiful young woman sitting with her friends. To his utter astonishment she appears to be pointing at him! Stunned by her appearance, and bewildered by her attention, his heart is in his mouth.

What follows is a remarkable true story of love, passion… and good fortune, set in pre-revolution Iran – a country of cosmopolitan glamour that could not be further from the Iran of today.

About the author

John Goodall studied modern languages but then qualified as a Chartered Quantity Surveyor. He spent 45 years in the construction industry, of which about 30 years were spent overseas. Mahin Rashvand was his wife and also secretary to the Minister of Agriculture in the Shah’s regime. Since her death in 2020, John has spent much of his time researching and writing a memoir.