In 1979, life changed dramatically for
Soheila Adelipour and her family. Fleeing chaos and persecution in Iran
following the Islamic revolution and landing in New York, this family found
stability there and worked hard to achieve education, jobs, spouses and
children. But life had yet to take its cruelest toll.
Chronicling their
experiences in Dancing to the
Darkest Light, Adelipour recounts how her only brother became a
neurosurgeon while others followed different paths. But their successful
relocation and the joy they felt over each triumph was soon shattered when the
Adelipour’s second son, Stefan, was killed in a dorm room fire before his
scheduled graduation from Boston University.
Adelipour channeled her
grief into the foundation she established in his name. Soon after, her older
sister had to undergo five brain surgeries that left her blind and deaf before
ultimately claiming her life. The same week, their only brother who was
supervising her care was diagnosed with leukemia. Adelipour gave him her bone
marrow and 60 percent of her liver when his liver stopped functioning. Doctors
ultimately announced he was cancer-free with a perfectly functioning liver, but
the week he was to come home, he died from pneumonia.
How one perseveres under the weight of
all this loss is at the core of Dancing
to the Darkest Light. “When life plays different music, we have to be fluid and
dance to the new tune,” Adelipour said.
Adelipour received her bachelor’s degree
in business and her master’s degree in Art Gallery Management while her first
two children were in diapers. She was involved with the World of Arts and
Antiques in New York City and followed that by operating high-end gift stores.
For more information visit www.soheilaadelipour.com.
Dancing to the Darkest Light
Released: September 2019
ISBN-10:
173371264X
ISBN-13: 978-1733712644
