Rostam Batmanglij was born on a foggy day at the end of November, 1983, in the nation’s capital, Washington D.C. In 1979, his parents, newly married, fled Iran separately—travelling apart for security reasons—they reunited in southern France, where they claimed refugee status. His mother was pregnant with his older brother Zal at the time. Less than four years later, they left France for the United States.