One of the best books I’ve read this year
I loved this book. Couldn’t put it down and couldn’t stop thinking about the characters. It’s definitely going to stay with me for a long time and deserves so much hype and appreciation. Such a gorgeous story that reminds us to live well and not squander the time we have.
The writing is so engaging - at once both a well researched historical account of modern Iranian history and also a tender portrayal of a woman’s life. It was so much more powerful than I anticipated and is definitely one of my favorite books that I’ve read this year. I can’t recommend it enough!
The story follows the life of Amineh, an Iranian woman who is a university student during the time of the Iranian Revolution. It’s fascinating to chronicle the Revolution through her experiences - her friends, the protests, the idealism. And then to see her life unfold through the 1980s and 1990s in the aftermath of a failed Revolution. We learn so much about the political history of Iran. I specifically loved learning about the struggle of non-governmental groups who were pushing for nuclear disarmament at that time. The author previously wrote about arms control during the 1990s and that knowledge really shines through in the story.
I love that the chapters have specific dates - you could actually match the story to real life events and updates on the war and revolution and get even more context for what the characters are experiencing.
The writing style is really dialogue-driven. The historical information unfolds through conversations and events between the characters, rather than the author simply explaining the state of politics and the revolution. So it always feels really relevant and alive - the historical events are actually happening in the lives of the characters.
I totally fell in love with all of the characters. They were written with so much heart and compassion so they all felt so relatable, even when I disagreed with their choices. And I loved seeing all of their lives unfold - it was such an interesting exploration into the way the people we choose in our lives can have such powerful effects in shaping the path we follow.
5 stars!
Thank you so Alder House Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The writing is so engaging - at once both a well researched historical account of modern Iranian history and also a tender portrayal of a woman’s life. It was so much more powerful than I anticipated and is definitely one of my favorite books that I’ve read this year. I can’t recommend it enough!
The story follows the life of Amineh, an Iranian woman who is a university student during the time of the Iranian Revolution. It’s fascinating to chronicle the Revolution through her experiences - her friends, the protests, the idealism. And then to see her life unfold through the 1980s and 1990s in the aftermath of a failed Revolution. We learn so much about the political history of Iran. I specifically loved learning about the struggle of non-governmental groups who were pushing for nuclear disarmament at that time. The author previously wrote about arms control during the 1990s and that knowledge really shines through in the story.
I love that the chapters have specific dates - you could actually match the story to real life events and updates on the war and revolution and get even more context for what the characters are experiencing.
The writing style is really dialogue-driven. The historical information unfolds through conversations and events between the characters, rather than the author simply explaining the state of politics and the revolution. So it always feels really relevant and alive - the historical events are actually happening in the lives of the characters.
I totally fell in love with all of the characters. They were written with so much heart and compassion so they all felt so relatable, even when I disagreed with their choices. And I loved seeing all of their lives unfold - it was such an interesting exploration into the way the people we choose in our lives can have such powerful effects in shaping the path we follow.
5 stars!
Thank you so Alder House Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.