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The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree
The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree | Shokoofeh Azar
36 posts | 23 read | 52 to read
An extraordinarily powerful and evocative literary novel set in Iran in the period immediately after the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Using the lyrical magic realism style of classical Persian storytelling, Azar draws the reader deep into the heart of a family caught in the maelstrom of post-revolutionary chaos and brutality that sweeps across an ancient land and its people. The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree is really an embodiment of Iranian life in constant oscillation, struggle, and play between four opposing poles: life and death; politics and religion. The sorrow residing in the depths of our joy is the product of a life between these four poles. "If ever there was a book that needs to be read more than once, this is it" ~ ArtsHub "This novel is an exciting development in Australian publishing" ~ ANZ LitLovers LitBlog "Living in the 21st Century is not for the faint hearted, so its no surprise that writers of literary fiction are looking clear-eyed at schisms of times past and the capacity of humans for brutality. Stylistically similar to Eka Kurniawans acclaimed Beauty is a Wound, this novel is set in the aftermath of Irans Islamic Revolution of 1979. Many scenes, most memorably Azars handling of Beetas fate, blend heavy darkness with allegorical flights of imagination, marking the author as an assured fabulist. She brings to colourful life an extended family replete with beauty, humour, and tragedy" ~ WritingWA
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Teresereading
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#bookmoods
Day 20 Food on the Cover
A fruity selection
@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Eggs Greengage Summer by Godden!👏🏻👍🏼 2y
16 likes1 comment
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Literaturenut
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Pickpick

One part historical fiction one part modern fairy tale, this book is lyrical and haunting. Ms. Azar gives a voice to those who have been silenced while telling stories that feel like they‘ve been told and retold for generations. Truth, steeped with magic and lore.

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Hooked_on_books
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Mehso-so

Starting with the Revolution in #Iran, this book reveals the violence and fear a family has to live with while they cling to each other. Some of the writing is terrific, but I really struggled with the structure, which meanders so much it reads more like vignettes than a smooth narrative. But that cover sure gets an A+!

#ReadingAsia2021

Librarybelle Agree about the cover! 3y
BarbaraBB I felt that way too unfortunately. I expected to love it! 3y
46 likes2 comments
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Liz_M
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Pickpick

Magical realism set during the years following the 1979 Iranian revolution. Bahar, a young ghost, narrates the story of her family, the village to which they fled, and the country at large. Weaving in myths and fairy-tales into her family‘s experiences, with the very real events thrusting forward causing moments of crises. It‘s a story told out-of-order, adding layers of imagery and emotions building the last 100 pages when it becomes mesmerizing.

vivastory I loved this one. A great use of magical realism IMO 3y
charl08 I have this on the shelf, looking forward to it. 3y
Librarybelle Great review! This sounds very interesting 3y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3y
30 likes1 stack add5 comments
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GatheringBooks
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#SleighTheShelves Day 31: Greek dessert with Turkish coffee is always cause for #celebration. All kinds of deliciousness.

Mitch That looks scrumptious 😋 3y
OriginalCyn620 Yum! 😋 3y
54 likes3 comments
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GatheringBooks
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#SleighTheShelves Day 27: We had a Greek Christmas #Feast while we were in Abu Dhabi for Christmas Day. Super filling. We missed Greek food so much - no Greek resto in the quaint provincial little town where we live, sadly.

OriginalCyn620 Yum! 😋 3y
47 likes1 comment
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GatheringBooks
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#SleighTheShelves Day 14: #Tree figures a lot in this narrative, even though I am only one chapter in. Paired with yummy Indian food - lamb biryani, samosa, daal, papadom, cheese kulcha, and deep fried prawn.

OriginalCyn620 📚👍🏻📚 3y
rabbitprincess Mmmmmm Indian food is my favourite! 😋 3y
49 likes2 comments
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GatheringBooks
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#SleighTheShelves Day 13: #Naughty smile while reading in the mountain ⛰ this weekend.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 💞💞💞 3y
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BarbaraBB
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Mehso-so

I didn‘t like this one as much as I expected to. I am always very interested in Middle Eastern contemporary history and was gripped (and shocked) by the facts about the Islamic revolution of 1978 but I felt less interested in the plot. The narrator is the ghost of a 13 years old girl but it all felt too detached for me to relate to any of the main characters even though I was interested in them.
The book would make a good one for #ReadingAsia2021

Megabooks Love the art!! 💖💖 3y
TrishB @Megabooks same ❤️ 3y
jb72 The artwork is beautiful! 3y
See All 6 Comments
Cathythoughts Yes ! The Art is ✨ 3y
vivastory Sorry to hear you didn't connect with this one 3y
BarbaraBB @vivastory Me too, I was sure I‘d love it 🤷🏻‍♀️ 3y
63 likes1 stack add6 comments
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Storied
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Beeta says that Mom attained enlightenment at exactly 2:35 pm on August 18, 1988, atop the grove's tallest greengage plum tree on a hill overlooking all fifty-three village houses, to the sound of scrubbing of pots and pans, a ruckus that pulled the grove out of its lethargy every afternoon.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl
#TheEnlightenmentoftheGreengageTree
#ShokoofehAzar

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GatheringBooks
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#ThankfulThoughts Day 5: I feel #blessed to be living in a place where there are multiple flavours of kunafa. This one is graffiti kunafa (left) and espresso kunafa (right). Both yum.

Eggs You are blessed! 3y
Leftcoastzen Beautiful! they look yummy! 3y
charl08 Wow, looks delicious! 3y
57 likes3 comments
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GatheringBooks
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#WordsOfOctober Day 25: There is #Light in Enlightenment. Last day of our weekend (Sundays are our Mondays) calls for mixed kunafa, saraya bread, and wardat al sham. And yes, coffee. 💕🧚🏼‍♀️

OriginalCyn620 📚😊📚 3y
56 likes1 comment
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GatheringBooks
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#FallFinds Day 25: There really is no #formula for a hearty weekend meal but this Japanese dish of mixed seafood tempura, fried shrimp dumpling, and kung pao shrimp with peanuts washed down with classic bobba tea seemed to have done the trick. Yum.

ChasingOm That looks/sounds delicious! 3y
Leftcoastzen Yummy! 3y
Eggs Great pairing ❤️🥘🍚👏🏻 3y
52 likes3 comments
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rmaclean4
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Pickpick

I took a full month to finish this one. I did not feel compelled to pick it up every day but when I did have time to devote to this magical realism/historical fiction book it was time well spent. I wish I knew more about Persian myth and folklore. Like most magical realism, you just have to let go and flow with the story. There are images from this novel that will stay with me a long time! Beautiful physical book by Europa. 4 🌟

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Skygoddess1
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Book Mail! Today I received my giveaway win copy of The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree by Shookoofeh Azar courtesy of The Reading Women podcast and Europa Editions. This book sounds interesting and I can‘t wait to dive in. #giveawaywin

18 likes1 stack add
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ChasingOm
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These are the books I picked up at my local indie / bookshop.com for Women in Translation month. Only read one this month, lol, but looking forward to the other two in the coming weeks!

#IntegrateYourShelf

DGRachel Drive Your Plow is awesome! 4y
ChasingOm @DGRachel That‘s the one I‘ve read! I‘ll post my thoughts tomorrow. 😄 4y
Liz_M On my last exercise with a bookstore stop, I tried to buy the Azar book, but it was not in stock. 😣 4y
ChasingOm @Liz_M I was surprised my little indie here in WV had it! 4y
52 likes4 comments
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read_create_repeat
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Pickpick

This is my first pick of the #WomenInTranslation month. It has so much to say, and Shookoofeh Azar and the anonymous translator use every page to do so rather beautifully. The book tells the story of a family caught in the religious fervour of a revolution in a fast changing country. It is interspersed with commentary not just on religion, politics, corruption, feminism, education, socialism, but also with jinns, ghosts, and other supernatural.

read_create_repeat Read full review on jayajain.com 4y
2 likes1 comment
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JSW
Pickpick

What an incredible book, and I mean that both in its quality and its believability. Stuffed with amazing magical realism, themes from Iranian philosophy, ghosts, djinns, and otherworldly experiences, this book is all over the place in the best way. And yet it also deals a hefty dose of sobering reality in addressing the oppressive regime after the Revolution. Powerful, shocking, even strange to American readers, (Cont in comments)

JSW Yet touching, deep, meaningful and even funny. Every now and then Azar socks it to the reader with a pithy piece of life wisdom. This is a book that I wish I could sit with multiple generations of Iranians to discuss. 4y
JSW Let me be clear that by "strange" I do not mean odd - I mean the sensibility of the writing is a flavor that I haven't found in American or British writers, but have tasted in other books by Middle Eastern authors, and one that I love for its differences. It's hard to describe, it is somehow very dry, melancholy, straightforward, yet allegorical. 4y
JSW Dangit, I'm still not happy with how I'm expressing this. I don't mean to make it sound like American/British/Western writers are doing it right. I refer to them because that's what I've read the most and have had the greatest access to. I'm working on that. I clearly struggle with how to contrast two or more styles in reviews without centering one as "the norm." Hopefully these notes help clarify my intent. (edited) 4y
Cinfhen Wonderful review!!! I‘m definitely intrigued 💗 4y
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vivastory
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Pickpick

Azar's MB International Shortlist novel is narrated by Bahar, a thirteen year old ghost in the decade following the Islamic Revolution in Iran. We follow Bahar's family as they move from cosmopolitan Tehran to the village of Razan following the death of the narrator. Bahar's family struggles with the new repressive regime & although this magical realist story is in the manner of GG Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude, it is wholly unique.👇

vivastory (cont.)Azar imbues all five family members with distinct dimensions, allowing the readers to become fully invested in their destinies. I never imagined a writer would be able to revitalize Marquez's widely used techniques fifty years later, & manage to make it feel original & compelling but Azar has done so. I loved this one every bit as much as the other MBI title I have read, Ogawa's The Memory Police. (cont.) 4y
vivastory (cont.)The difficulties that the characters in this novel face are very much still alive, as in the author's acknowledgments Azar writes, “I am profoundly grateful to the Australian people for accepting me into this safe and democratic country where I have the freedom to write this book, a liberty denied me in my homeland.“ Also, the translator has been forced to remain anonymous for reasons of safety.
4y
Tanisha_A Very interesting! Stackiiiiiiing. 😁 4y
vivastory @Tanisha_A I'll be interested to see what you think. I really do feel like it has something new to bring to magical realism which genuinely surprised me 4y
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reluctantangeleno
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I am having SUCH trouble with this book. It's the selection for my fave indie book store's book club (meeting on Tuesday night), but I'm 75 pages in and it feels like such a chore to read. The translation feels very clunky and the story meanders and I just have no clue what's going on or where this book is going.

Help! Has anyone read this? Does it get better at some point?? Convince me not to bail!

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vivastory
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The tagged book, my current read, is published by Europa Editions. I have two other Europas that are high on my TBR (Theory of Bastards thanks to @readordierachel review & Disoriental) which I just purchased through bookshop.org Any recommendations of other books published by Europa (other than Elena Ferrante, who I plan on reading)? Their catalog is overwhelming.

GatheringBooks Do i hear a #EuropaEditionsBookClub soonest? I will be so on board if there was one! 4y
vivastory @GatheringBooks I really loved your idea. TBH I haven't decided yet whether to do another round of NYRB or Europa. 4y
GatheringBooks @vivastory aww. You are a stellar host, and will love to join the europa edition one, if you do decide to change things up a bit. I find the #nyrb titles to appeal mostly to american sensibilities (except for the translated titles which I mostly gravitate towards), and want to branch out to more international titles. 4y
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GatheringBooks This is part of a series and i bought it last year but have read good reviews of it. 4y
vivastory @GatheringBooks I completely understand. I used to read a lot of translated fiction and lately have been drawn to reading it more frequently. I'm intrigued by their catalog and have hardly explored it, so I'm definitely going to think about a Europa group. Thanks for the rec. It sounds interesting! 4y
MsMelissa I haven‘t read it (it‘s waiting on a shelf though) but this one is supposed to be pretty good 4y
vivastory @Book_Fiend_Melissa Thanks! I just added to my TBR 4y
vivastory @KVanRead That's a great book 4y
Leftcoastzen I have to get to Hedgehog ,it‘s been in my stash for a long time. 4y
KVanRead @Leftcoastzen It‘s a quick read and one of all time favorites ❤️ 4y
BarbaraBB Echoing @GatheringBooks , Old Filth is fantastic. And I love the idea of an Europa bookclub although I‘d also love another year of NYRB 🤷🏻‍♀️💕 4y
vivastory @BarbaraBB I'm glad to hear you liked Old Filth! I've really been torn between whether I should do another round of NYRB, do a round of Europa, or even do a hybrid NYRB/Europa... 4y
BarbaraBB Old Filth is a trilogy. You‘ll love it. And I can imagine your doubts. I don‘t know many Europa Books but I do love to read globally. However I absolutely love NYRB too so I am not of any help lol 😂 4y
53 likes14 comments
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vivastory
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1) Tagged book. As I mentioned in previous post I'm only a few pages in but I think it's fantastic.
2 & 3) Due to not having enough coffee yet, I first read this as one word titles I'm most looking forward to. So, I'm sticking with that. (Also, I realize Pew is now out but it's so new it qualifies. For the same reason I could add Hamnet.)
#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

vivastory *Author of Sisters is cut off. It's Daisy Johnson. 4y
batsy Wow, that cover for Sisters. That reminds me that I still haven't read Fen and Everything Under 🙃 4y
vivastory @batsy I've heard only great things about her books & this one sounds really intriguing too. Isn't the cover great? I feel tempted to stare at it, but know that'd probably be a bad decision for my sanity... 😂 4y
60 likes3 comments
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vivastory
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Only 50 pages into this Man Booker International Shortlist title, but I'm really enjoying it. Set in Iran following Islamic Revolution & narrated by a 13 year old ghost. One Hundred Years of Solitude vibes, in the best way. Plus the cover is 👏

Leftcoastzen Wow , that sounds good, stacked! 4y
Tanisha_A Yep, I am intrigued 4y
Tanisha_A Haven't read one hundred years yet, though 4y
vivastory @Leftcoastzen I've heard great things about it 👍 4y
vivastory @Tanisha_A I read 100 years many years ago and have been meaning to reread it. 4y
65 likes8 stack adds5 comments
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rmaclean4
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So excited for this late Mother's Day gift. So many great books to read!!

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Gillyreads
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BookwormM
Pickpick

#BookerInternationalShortlist2020

My favourite of the shortlist so far. Magical realism, unique narrator, not too bloody and a hopeful ending.

For more love and quotes see my full review here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3278604475

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Redwritinghood
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Mehso-so

This book seemed like an Iranian version of ‘100 Years of Solitude‘. It follows a family from the 1979 revolution to present day Iran. There is lots of magical realism and the book is populated with characters from the local folklore-djinns and soothsayers, mermaids and ghosts. Unfortunately, I found that the fantastical overwhelmed the story of the family to the point I often couldn‘t tell what was going on. 3⭐️ #bookerinternational2020 #hoopla

rockpools I don‘t disagree... I liked it a lot in the end, but I found switching between print and audio did help to get through it. 4y
71 likes1 comment
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rockpools
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Pickpick

#BookerInternational2020

An epic, sprawling story in just 270 pages, telling the history of a family, a village and a country, #Iran, in the time since the 1979 ‘Arab Invasion‘ that changed everything. This is a world where the living live alongside their ghosts and jinns (magical realism alert!), where stories unfold inside stories - and they matter - and where so much has been lost.
👇

rockpools The writing, often gorgeous, can be an effort to get through at times. The plot takes you off through literature, culture, politics, history, romance... Having read it, I do understand why the narrator had chosen to stay anonymous. Despite the genre, my knowledge of recent Iranian history has skyrocketed! Although I didn‘t fall head-over heels in love with it, this is a book I‘m glad to have read, & one that without doubt will stay with me. (edited) 4y
Bookwormjillk Sounds interesting! 4y
squirrelbrain Great review! 👍😘 4y
See All 8 Comments
BarbaraBB Love your review. I still need to check out the longlist. 4y
rockpools @BarbaraBB Thanks - I‘ve read some I really like, but it may all be about to go dowhill 😬 4y
BarbaraBB Oh really? And do you have a favorite yet? 4y
rockpools @BarbaraBB Probably Faces on the Tip of my Tongue so far - but I‘m a little way into Red Dog and the writing‘s amazing! 4y
BarbaraBB I‘ll follow your reviews! 4y
64 likes5 stack adds8 comments
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rockpools
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Well, that took a turn I wasn‘t expecting 🤔

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thereflectiveflaneur
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Pickpick

An amazing book! Gives you a real and immediate experience of the loves and losses of a family in Tehran! The prose is beautiful and the magic realism is astounding! Moments of dark and brutal history are interspersed with moments of real humour. Beautifully captures the impact of the revolution in Iran!

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rockpools
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Of course I‘d already started this for #BookerInternational2020 before committing to clearing what I‘m reading. Isn‘t the cover just 🥰? The translator has chosen to stay anonymous.

Apparently I‘d stacked this a couple of years ago when it was published in Australia and nominated for the Stellas.

Set in post-revolutionary #Iran, already I‘m learning of the 1988 Iranian massacre. Possible magical realism involved. And Mom‘s at the top of a tree.

rmaclean4 I am excited about this one! 4y
63 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Fernoppy
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Pickpick

A gently meandering and beautifully written story, Azar gave me a glimpse of an Iran unknown to me. Magic realist in feel, with it‘s ghosts and jinns, fables and fairytales, woven into the daily fabric of life. It is also a love letter and eulogy to the history and culture of Iran and to the individuals - the ordinary, everyday people, who could be any one of us - who have experienced loss and suffering on a massive scale. Enchanting and powerful.

Joanne1 Wow, that sounds mesmerising. Great review. 6y
40 likes5 stack adds1 comment
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Katiesbookishlife
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Pickpick

Interesting story, takes upon tales interwoven throughout. It reminded me a lot of Jen Campbell‘s short story collection. 4⭐️ #holidaybooktwo

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Katiesbookishlife
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I was lucky enough to listen to a talk by this author, Shokoofeh Azar, about the story behind how she wrote this book. There were a few passages that were read from the book that made me want to go read it straight away, so bought it that same day. #magicalrealism

JennyM I love the cover 6y
Katiesbookishlife @JennyM yes it‘s really beautiful. I think some of the authors own paintings were used in the cover design. 6y
24 likes2 comments
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Sue
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Pickpick

Here‘s another #aussiesrule2018 book for you, I‘m going to use this for prompt 20 (writing about another country or culture). Based on the events coming after the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, this novel is so evocative and beautifully written. We follow a family through their hardships, which is told in a way that echoes traditional storytelling. I loved, loved, loved this book. (Also shortlisted for the Stellas!)

rockpools It sounds wonderful. And that cover! 😍 6y
86 likes6 stack adds1 comment
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Brona
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#CoverLove
Paintings by Shokoofeh Azar: The Poetry Night, Two Birds & Red Bird and Moon
Design by Debra Billson