ONE BOOK, ONE DISTRICT 

with Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

“I think it's the book I was born to write.”

Cyrus Shams is a young man grappling with an inheritance of violence and loss after his mother’s plane was shot down over the skies of the Persian Gulf in a senseless accident. Cyrus is a drunk, an addict, and a poet, whose obsession with martyrs leaders him to examine the mysteries of his past—toward an uncle who rode through Iranian battlefields dressed as the angel of death to inspire and comfort the dying, and toward his mother, through a painting discovered in a Brooklyn art gallery that suggests she may not have been who or what she seemed.

In early 2026, Woodland Hills students, staff, and community members will read and discuss Martyr!. Join us for a series of discussions about the book. More details to come. Kaveh Akbar is a New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award finalist. Martyr! was named one of the best books of 2024 by various publications. Kaveh Akbar will interact with us remotely for this project on March 4, 2026!