The Prophet is my go-to book till date. Everytime I break down, I open a random page and read it. I hope your Iranian student had the good fortune of picking it up.

Yes. I read Jhumpa Lahiri when I was very 20. I didn't understand the subtext at all. Recently, a friend from my Book Club reviewed The Namesake and she sang praises. She said that Jhumpa's writing is very simple but carries a deep somberness. I hope that helps?