Interesting view of Iranian life, a bit slow
The physical copy of this book didn't arrive in time, but thank you to @alderhousebooks for sending the digital version so I could still read it in time for pub day (today!)
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This is the story of Amineh, an Iranian woman who is finishing up university in the late 1970s, right as the Islamic Revolution is getting underway, and then follows her through her life. I love reading about Iran, about the average people and culture (and the food!), and this does a great job of showing life in Iran -- the very normal struggles of a new wife and mother, but also a taste of the political turmoil in the country.
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I struggled with this some because it's described as a story of Amineh during the revolution, but that part of history was such a small part of the book, and while it had major ramifications, it almost felt like it was rushed through. It then jumps ahead years at a time, which was a bit jarring at times. I think this would have benefitted from some editing, as there were some chapters that really didn't feel necessary, some of Amineh's character development seemed a bit inconsistent, and one big reveal/twist toward the end was fairly obvious.
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But overall it was an entertaining story, with great vibrant food descriptions, and provided a good flavor (pun intended!) of life in Iran.
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This is the story of Amineh, an Iranian woman who is finishing up university in the late 1970s, right as the Islamic Revolution is getting underway, and then follows her through her life. I love reading about Iran, about the average people and culture (and the food!), and this does a great job of showing life in Iran -- the very normal struggles of a new wife and mother, but also a taste of the political turmoil in the country.
*
I struggled with this some because it's described as a story of Amineh during the revolution, but that part of history was such a small part of the book, and while it had major ramifications, it almost felt like it was rushed through. It then jumps ahead years at a time, which was a bit jarring at times. I think this would have benefitted from some editing, as there were some chapters that really didn't feel necessary, some of Amineh's character development seemed a bit inconsistent, and one big reveal/twist toward the end was fairly obvious.
*
But overall it was an entertaining story, with great vibrant food descriptions, and provided a good flavor (pun intended!) of life in Iran.