Book Review: Passport to Freedom: From Tehran to Triumph
By Nizam Missaghi, MD
Born an American citizen but raised under Iran’s theocracy, a teenage boy risks everything to escape religious persecution and reclaim the freedom—and responsibility—of choosing America. (Simon & Schuster, 2026)
Release Date: September 22, 2026, available for pre-order.
The Story
Nizam Missaghi was seven years old when he was expelled from school for the first time in Tehran. It wasn’t for misbehavior or poor grades, but for belonging to a faith the Islamic Republic refused to recognize. In post-revolutionary Iran, being Baha’i meant fractured futures: no university, no profession, and no way to support a family.
By 1986, he was a ten-year-old boy living in Tehran as a new middle class began to emerge. A revolution was underway—the “Constitutional Revolution”—but it would remain unfinished.
During this time, Nizam became captivated by the upcoming Halley’s Comet viewing, seeing in its glow an illuminated path to progress. He made a silent pact with the comet: by the time it returned in 75 years, his country would be a completely different Iran.
Meanwhile, hidden deep in a dresser drawer was a golden ticket: a United States passport, quietly renewed in secret every five years.
Born in New York (while his mother completed her pediatric residency)
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Taken to Iran as an infant
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Grew up free on paper, but trapped in practice
As adolescence gave way to urgency, Nizam had to decide whether hope was worth the risk of escape. With surveillance closing in and doors slamming shut, he faced an unthinkable choice: remain invisible, or gamble everything on a document that could either save or destroy him.
Structure of the Book
The memoir is elegantly split into two distinct acts:
- Part I: Looking Back – Documents his childhood in Iran, capturing the harsh realities and daily hurdles of living under state-sanctioned religious discrimination.
- Part II: Looking Ahead – Details his journey to and within the United States, tracking his evolution from a newly arrived college student to a proud medical graduate following in the footsteps of his mother and ancestors.
Review: A Powerful Testament to Resilience
Passport to Freedom is a gripping, deeply personal memoir that sheds light on a little-known aspect of life in post-revolutionary Iran. Missaghi blends intimate storytelling with historical reality as he struggles to preserve his faith, identity, dignity, and most importantly, his future.
Told through the eyes of a boy gradually awakening to the systemic limitations imposed upon him, the reader acutely feels the emotional toll of discrimination, uncertainty, and exclusion. The secret U.S. passport becomes a brilliant symbol of hope, possibility, and the heavy choices that accompany true freedom.
Missaghi writes with honesty, clarity, and immense gratitude. The narrative driving tension beautifully balances two opposing forces: the cosmic hope pinned on Halley’s Comet and the grounded, dangerous reality of his American passport.
“Like the comet streaking bright and brief across the darkness, that visibility illuminated a path toward progress, showing Iranians what could be.”
When Nizam finally decides to risk it all, the memoir shifts gears into a high-stakes thriller. The prose becomes urgent and evocative, reminding us that freedom is a fragile construct often sustained by the quiet bravery of allies.
Top Takeaway: “…the importance of standing up for what is right, even when fear grips you.”
Inspiring and deeply thought-provoking, Passport to Freedom exposes the devastating human cost of systemic religious persecution. In an era where authoritarian regimes continue to outlaw conscience, this timely memoir stands as a poignant reminder of why America’s promise of refuge remains so vital.
“Medicine became, for me, another passport—not out of a country, but into people’s lives. A way to honor the value of every human being, especially those whose dignity has been denied. And in that sense, the journey that began with a hidden passport had always been leading here.”
About the Author
Nizam Missaghi, M.D., is an Iranian-American physician. After being barred from higher education in the Islamic Republic due to his faith, he left Iran upon completing high school to pursue his dreams abroad.
- Education: Completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Virginia and earned his medical degree from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine.
- Current Practice: Following his anesthesiology residency, he relocated to the Phoenix metro area. He is a founding member of Grand Canyon Anesthesia and serves as a clinical assistant professor of anesthesiology at both the University of Arizona School of Medicine and Midwestern University.
- Advocacy & Philanthropy: Dr. Missaghi is the current chairman of the board for the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, where human rights abuses in the Islamic Republic are verified and documented. He is also the founder of The Simpatico Foundation, an Arizona-based nonprofit that promotes diversity and the arts.
**Thank you to Tracy Goldblatt/Meryl Moss Media for the gifted ARC for review consideration. I haven’t been compensated for this review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
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