ComparedbyDanzySennato"theyoungPhilipRoth"forher"lashing,darkhumortingedwithdeepmelancholy,"PorochistaKhakpourisoneofhergeneration'smostoutrageouslygiftednewtalents.SonsandOtherFlammableObjectsisatonceacomedyandatragedy,afamilyhistory,andamoderncoming-of-agestorywithadistinctlytimelessresonance.Growingup,XerxesAdamispainfullyawarethatheisdifferentwithanunderstandingofhisIranianheritagethatvacillatesfromtypicalteenageembarrassmenttosomethingsotragicitcanbarelybespoken.Hisfather,Darius,obsessesoverhissenseofexile,andfantasizesaboutanonexistentdaughterhecanrelatetobetterthanhislivingson;Xerxes'motherchangeshernameandtriestomakefriends;butneitherofthemcanhelptheirsonmakesenseoftheterrifying,violentlastmomentsinahomelandhebarelyremembers.AshegrowsintomanhoodandmovestoNewYork,hismajorgoalinlifeistocompletelyseparatefromhisparents,butwhenhemeetsabeautifulhalf-IraniangirlontheroofofhisbuildingafterNewYork'sownterrifyingandviolentcatastrophestrikes,itseemsIranwillnotletXerxesgo.