Female Life On Planet Earth

A daughter uncovers the secrets of her mother''s past in this darkly funny, lyrical novel

''A future classic'' SETH INSUA 

''A rare gem'' ONYI NWABINELI

''A deeply human story'' NGUYYEN PHAN QUE MAI

After a lifetime together, Heti thought she knew her mother inside out. She''s about to discover how wrong she was.

Heti moves in a daze of grief after her mother dies, until her life is upended by the arrival of an unmarked package containing photographs of her mother as a young woman in Iran, enveloped head to toe in a black veil, pointing a machine gun at a group of sobbing young women.

Unable to confront the one person she most wants answers from, she turns to the women around her, listening to their surprising, funny and often contradictory stories. Through them, she realises that every woman contains hidden lives and private truths.

So when it falls to her to organise a memorial marking the first anniversary of her mother’s death, Heti gathers the women who knew her best and asks them: Who was my mother? And who are we?

Original, sparkling with wit and layered with tenderness, Female Life on Planet Earth is a celebration of womanhood, perfect for fans of Good Girl by Aria Aber and The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji.

''A layered, profound story that made me laugh and cry, it feels both immediate and enduring, an instant favourite I can already imagine as a future classic.'' Seth Insua, author of Human, Animal

''A sumptuous journey... Full of history, gentle sorrow, bright and pulsing joy and family. A maze of emotion that connects strangers and family alike. This is one of those rare gems that sits in your chest long after you read the last word.'' Onyi Nwabineli, author of Allow Me to Introduce Myself

''A laugh-out-loud, shocking, moving and deeply human story that illuminates the complexity of Iran’s history and its people. Full of surprises, wit and depth, Female Life on Planet Earth is an exquisitely beautiful and highly original novel that I won''t be able to forget.'' Nguyen Phan Que Mai, author of The Mountains Sing

''Sharp, witty and deeply poignant, Female Life on Planet Earth captures the multiplicity and complexity of womanhood, motherhood, and the known and unknown things that shape who we are with remarkable insight. A stunning new novel from Laleh Khadivi.'' Shani Akilah, author of For Such a Time As This

Laleh Khadivi is the author of three novels, The Age of Orphans, The Walking and A Good Country, otherwise known as the Kurdish Trilogy. She is the recipient of a Whiting Award, a Barnes and Noble Discover New Writers Award, a Pushcart Prize, NEA grant for the arts and the Stanford Stein fellowship. She lives in Oakland, California and is chair of the University of San Francisco MFA program in writing.

For fans of Good Girl by Aria Aber or The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji


Acquired at a competitive auction for a six-figure advance, one of the highest ever paid by Oneworld


A stunning blend of dark humour and emotional heft, this is standout literary fiction


Author has received a Whiting Award, a Barnes and Noble Discover New Writers Award and a Pus