Filling a long-neglected gap in the travel writing of the region, Jason Elliot's Mirrors of the Unseen is a rare and timely portrait of the nation descended from the world's earliest superpower: Iran. Animated by the same spirit of exploration as its acclaimed predecessor, An Unexpected Light, and drawing on several years of independent travel and research, this thought-provoking work weaves together observations of life in contemporary Iran with history, politics, and a penetrating enquiry into the secrets of Islamic art. Generously illustrated with the author's own sketches and photographs, Mirrors of the Unseen is a rich, sensitive, and vivid account of a country and its culture. “A penetrating account of a series of journeys to Iran. . . . Jason Elliot is a travel writer of the old school: untethered to an itinerary, eager to be led astray, and as ardent an observer of the experience of traveling as of his destination.” ― The New Yorker “An important look at the forces at play in a region starting to dominate the Middle East.” ― The Star-Ledger (Newark) “Armchair travelers will enjoy moving with Elliot through both fabled cities and remote corners of Iran.” ― The Christian Science Monitor “A work of profound thought, imagination, passion, and ambition. It should be widely read.” ― The Guardian (U.K.) “Whatever stereotypes we may have crumble in the wake of Elliot's encounters with ordinary Iranians. . . . Mirrors of the Unseen takes us into a very different Iran, and the journey is fabulous. . . . Elliot writes like an angel.” ― The Providence Journal Jason Elliot is the author of An Unexpected Light: Travels in Afghanistan , which was a New York Times bestseller. He lives in London.