This book was chosen for our next book group read weeks before we met not knowing that the USA and Israel would begin a new war with Iran, where the book is set, just days before we got together to discuss, making the subject matter very apposite to the times. (The word ‘apposite was used by one of our members to make this point which made us all very impressed with her!)
The book follows two female friends from their first meeting as seven year olds in Tehran in 1950 and throughout their lives to the present day.
Although the book did give some interesting insights into Iranian life and culture, and addressed many historical events that we in the book group remembered from news stories and discussed, we weren’t totally enamoured by the writing style which many of us found to be overly simplistic and also a little too ‘American’. The author, who is of Iranian descent was born and raised in America and never lived in Iran, so that is maybe why.
I personally forgot to read the book until the day before book group, so read it in just two sittings and I did get quite caught up in the story to the point of getting a little teary at the ending, so perhaps I’m judging it too harshly.
Sarah Wray Writer 