I am truly of two minds about this book. First, it’s a story of Arezu, a 17 year old girl abandoned by her father in his apartment in Spain who is sexually abused by an older relation. She is of mixed descent, an Iranian, needy mother and. British, mostly absent father. Upon arriving in America, her brother is brutally attacked and the consequence to the family I devastating. So Arezu arrives in Spain already bruised and conflicted as to how to her two cultures that are polar opposites of each other. Twenty years later, she and her friend who is also dealing with demons return to the apartment of her abuse. The author describes throughout the book the role of language, culture, politics, and Eastern oppression by Western culture as the foundation for suppressed people to become victims of abuse or to become the perpetrators of abuse. Her words and writing are gorgeous and initially I was drawn to her words and her vision. But unfortunately, for me, the philosophizing became tedious. I’m not even sure that Arezu’s demons were put to rest but that, moving forward she is just better able to cope with her past and the pain and pleasure (along with the guilt of feeling pleasure) that she’s always lived with. I do think that this book would be a good book club book as I’m sure it would result in some lively discussion and perhaps some opening and healing of wounds