Mining her rich Persian heritage with dry wit and a bold spirit, Firoozeh Dumas puts her own unique mark on the themes of family, community, and tradition. Explaining crossover cultural food fare, Dumas says, ÒThe weirdest American culinary marriage is yams with melted marshmallows. I donÕt know who thought of this Thanksgiving tradition, but IÕm guessing a hyperactive, toothless three-year-old.Ó On Iranian wedding anniversaries: ÒIt just initially seemed odd to celebrate the day that Ôour families decided we should marry even though I had never met you, and frankly, itÕs not working out so well.Õ Ó Dumas also documents her first year as a new mother, the experience of taking fifty-one family members on a birthday cruise to Alaska, and a road trip to Iowa with an American once held hostage in Iran. Droll, moving, and relevant, Laughing Without an Accent shows how our differences can unite usÐand provides indelible proof that Firoozeh Dumas is a humorist of the highest order.