A few weeks ago, a journalist friend introduced me to Sanjar Roham, the author of Land of Tears. He decided to conduct a Zoom interview with my Army buddy, Mac, and me. Land of Tears by Sanjar Roham is a nonfiction memoir that recounts the author’s extraordinary journey from civilian life in the United States to serving as a translator (“terp”) with the U.S. Marines in Afghanistan.
Summary of the Interview with Sanjar Roham, Author of Land of Tears
Sanjar Roham was born in Tehran, Iran, and immigrated to the United States at age 12 in 1977, shortly before the Iranian Revolution. His family initially planned to return to Iran after his education, but the revolution—and threats against his father—forced them into permanent exile. Sanjar grew up in the U.S., adapting quickly due to his early English education, including a formative year in a small Texas town where he experienced acceptance and community.
Sanjar earned an MBA from Pepperdine and built a successful consulting business with his brothers, managing dental practices. The 2008–2009 financial crisis devastated the business, leaving him at a crossroads at age 44. During this time, he responded to a small newspaper ad seeking Farsi/Dari speakers. This decision led him to intensive Pashto training and eventual deployment to Afghanistan as an interpreter embedded with U.S. Marines.
In Afghanistan, Sanjar worked primarily in Helmand Province with Marine units, navigating immense cultural, linguistic, religious, and trust-based challenges—both with Afghan locals and within coalition forces. As an Iranian (and secretly Jewish), he faced suspicion and hostility, but ultimately earned the trust and respect of the Marines through competence, resilience, and loyalty. His role placed him repeatedly in dangerous situations, including multiple explosions and ambushes.
Sanjar began writing notes during deployment as a way to process his experiences. After returning home in 2011, he struggled with PTSD, difficulty reintegrating into civilian life, and emotional detachment from former friends. Writing became his primary form of therapy. With the help of a writing coach, those personal notes evolved into a manuscript. A literary agent later recognized its potential, and after extensive editing, Land of Tears was published by a military-focused publisher.
The book chronicles his journey from language training through deployment and return, capturing the psychological toll of war, the complexities of loyalty and identity, and the bonds formed with Marines in combat.
After returning stateside, Sanjar narrowly survived a catastrophic car accident involving an 18-wheeler. Years later, he faced a life-threatening medical crisis: a large bladder tumor surgery that resulted in massive blood loss and clinical death on the operating table. Against overwhelming odds, he survived—a case doctors later referred to as a “miracle.” During this experience, Sanjar reports a profound near-death encounter that deeply transformed his spiritual outlook.
Though raised non-religious, Sanjar describes a strong, evolving belief in God shaped by survival, war, and suffering. He reveals that he is a non-practicing Jewish Iranian of Kurdish heritage—an identity he kept hidden while deployed for safety reasons.
Sanjar views America as his true home and expresses deep gratitude to the U.S. military and the country that gave him opportunity and purpose. Land of Tears stands as both a war memoir and a personal testament to resilience, identity, faith, and redemption.
