Martyr by Kaveh Akbar

Everyone in Cyrus’ life can be defined as a martyr—his mother perishing on Iran Air Flight 655, his uncle the angel of death on meaningless battlefields, and his father working as a chicken farm executioner in a new land. All Cyrus desires from his life is to find purpose of his own martyrdom.

Akbar writes with wit and lyrical genius as he navigates Cyrus’ desires.