Persia Cafe

Fannie works at the local cafe in the small Mississippi River town of Persia. The world of Persia is one of slow expectations and hard boundaries. Dreaming that cooking will be her ticket out, Fannie cleaves to Mattie, the irrepressible black woman who runs the cafe's kitchen. But when a black boy disappears and the town erupts in violence, Fannie will uncover a truth that is as unexpected as it is heartbreaking.

Persia Café is a novel about innocence passing, along with an American age. It is a story of murder, betrayal, the ordinariness of racism and the possibility of redemption.

About the Author:
Melany Neilson grew up on a farm near Ebenezer, Mississippi. Her memoir, Even Mississippi, was published to great acclaim. She now lives in San Diego, California. Persia Café is her first novel.