Moving Story Laced With Feminism
Half a Cup of Sand and Sky is a beautiful story based on Iran from the 1970s to the 90s. Political unrest is happening as Iran attempts to shift from a monarchy to a democracy and then the following war with Iraq. This book may be better understood and appreciated if one knows about this time. There are some terms and background characters that are not really explained, although the information can be easily looked up. As someone who didn't initially know anything about this revolution going into the book, I was still able to enjoy it and feel like I learned a lot.
This story focuses on Amineh, a woman in Iran who grew up on a rose farm. She is thrust into the world of revolutionaries when she marries Farzad, a nuclear disarmament activist. Initially reluctant to become involved, Amineh realizes that she wants to have a say in the world around her and begins to involve herself in politics. She starts having to juggle her personal relationship with what she believes are her moral obligations.
I learned so much from this book about the Middle East during this time period and the development and spread of nuclear weapons. This story did not only focus on the politics of Iran during this time but related prevalent issues. The characters were very relatable and I loved Amineh as the protagonist. She was a strong female character without giving up her feminism. The writing in this book was a bit complicated to follow at times but overall was beautiful.
Initially, when beginning this book, I had issues with the pacing. I felt that it moved a bit fast, particularly in the first chapter, and I wasn't able to get a good feel for the characters before the action started. However, after the initial first couple of chapters, the pacing really does become easier to handle and the story moves along quite nicely.
Half A Cup of Sand and Sky was an incredible read, especially for those looking to know more and get a deeper look into Iran during a time of political turmoil. The writing is quite beautiful and the plot of the story itself is very moving. I found myself getting emotional about plot points often and was truly rooting for Amineh. I truly enjoyed this book a lot and would recommend it to anyone who wants a historical book with a beautifully moving plot and a strong female protagonist.
This story focuses on Amineh, a woman in Iran who grew up on a rose farm. She is thrust into the world of revolutionaries when she marries Farzad, a nuclear disarmament activist. Initially reluctant to become involved, Amineh realizes that she wants to have a say in the world around her and begins to involve herself in politics. She starts having to juggle her personal relationship with what she believes are her moral obligations.
I learned so much from this book about the Middle East during this time period and the development and spread of nuclear weapons. This story did not only focus on the politics of Iran during this time but related prevalent issues. The characters were very relatable and I loved Amineh as the protagonist. She was a strong female character without giving up her feminism. The writing in this book was a bit complicated to follow at times but overall was beautiful.
Initially, when beginning this book, I had issues with the pacing. I felt that it moved a bit fast, particularly in the first chapter, and I wasn't able to get a good feel for the characters before the action started. However, after the initial first couple of chapters, the pacing really does become easier to handle and the story moves along quite nicely.
Half A Cup of Sand and Sky was an incredible read, especially for those looking to know more and get a deeper look into Iran during a time of political turmoil. The writing is quite beautiful and the plot of the story itself is very moving. I found myself getting emotional about plot points often and was truly rooting for Amineh. I truly enjoyed this book a lot and would recommend it to anyone who wants a historical book with a beautifully moving plot and a strong female protagonist.