A beautiful book spanning several decades.
This was a beautiful book spanning several decades from the perspectives of five family members: two parents who were revolutionaries in Iran in 1979, then fled to Germany when the Mullahs took over; and their three children who all see the world from different perspectives based in part on when they departed Iran and arrived in Germany. Compelling stream-of-consciousness narration, first person for each individual character, ending on a hopeful note. This is another short-list contender for the International Booker Prize – I bet it will win.
Vibes
- multi-generational
- multi-perspective
- stream-of-consciousness
- family love and identity
- ending on a hopeful note
Why I picked it up
Another short-list contender for the International Booker Prize.
Favorite quotes
“The nights are quiet in Tehran. The days so loud. The people in the house so loud. Talking so loudly about unimportant things, and hesitating so loudly about important things.”
“If I were a mother, a sister, an aunt, I would be sitting there doing the same; I would take every opportunity to kiss these little souls, because they’re so joyful, and no matter what is happening outside, no matter what they’re learning at school, no matter that their schoolbooks are suddenly endorsing the opposite of what they did a few weeks previously, no matter if a while ago their parents were still spending their nights on the roof and their days on the streets, returning with bloodied clothes — the children still spend their days laughing, questioning, eating, interrupting, sleeping. They deserve all the kisses in the world, I think, but maybe the life that is just around the corner, still wavering a little — maybe that is the much greater gift.”
Would recommend to
Would recommend for anyone who enjoys a multi-generational, multi-perspective story about family love and identity.
Part of
Tracking the International Booker Prize
Also reviewed: Women Without Men, The Witch