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The Girl from the Garden
The Girl from the Garden: A Novel | Parnaz Foroutan
15 posts | 18 read | 63 to read
An extraordinary new writer makes her literary debut with this suspenseful novel of desire, obsession, power and vulnerability, in which a crisis of inheritance leads to the downfall of a wealthy family of Persian Jews in early twentieth-century Iran. For all his wealth and success, Asher Malacoutithe head of a prosperous Jewish family living in the Iranian town of Kermanshahcannot have the one thing he desires above all: a male son. His young wife Rakhel, trapped in an oppressive marriage at a time when a womans worth is measured by her fertility, is made desperate by her failure to conceive, and grows jealous and vindictive. Her despair is compounded by her sister-in-law Khorsheeds pregnancy and her husbands growing desire for Kokab, his cousins wife. Frustrated by his wifes inability to bear him an heir, Asher makes a fateful choice that will shatter the household and drive Rakhel to dark extremes to save herself and preserve her status within the family. Witnessed through the memories of the familys only surviving daughter, Mahboubeh, now an elderly woman living in Los Angeles, The Girl from the Garden unfolds the complex, tragic history of her family in a long-lost Iran of generations past. Haunting, suspenseful and inspired by events in the authors own family, it is an evocative and poignant exploration of sacrifice, betrayal, and the indelible legacy of the families that forge us.
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Clwojick
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🔸 #UglyLocationChallenge: On the city bus

kspenmoll 🙌🏻🙌🏻 5y
84 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Clwojick
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Headed out for the day to do some errands. I‘m in a mood to take some photos today, so I‘m going to attempt the #uglylocationchallenge with books instead of selfies, because why not! Here‘s the first one that I took while waiting at the bus stop.

82 likes2 stack adds
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thereadingowlvina
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Pickpick

A beautifully written #historicalfiction set in a time and culture where a woman's worth and status is measured by her #fertility. #Love, #betrayal, #sacrifice and #jealousy are some of the themes explored throughout this book. An #engaging #goodread from beginning to end. #parnazforoutan #bookart #bookphotos #bookphotography #yycreads #calgaryreads #readforlife #read150 #multiplebookreading #passionforreading #asia #bookworm #calgarylibrary

6 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Clwojick
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#LibraryWishlist

Have any of my fellow Littens read this book? Would you recommend? Please let me know. ☺️

64 likes1 stack add
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Lauren.Archer
Pickpick

2nd time is the charm. Very good story about a Jewish family living in Iran during the turn of the 20th century, and the implications of not being able to have a son. At times it was heartbreaking.

64 likes1 stack add
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Lauren.Archer
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This is my 2nd try with this book. I think I am in a better mindset now.

minkyb Good luck! 7y
minkyb And pretty book sleeve! 7y
82 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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lauren.lerner
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Pickpick

Beautifully written, heartrending & sad. Not really what I was looking to read right now but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I'm working on reading more Jewish literature & this story of a Jewish family in Iran, based on the author's own family history, fit that criteria. My goal to read more diversely was also met, this being a story about Mizrahi Jews (I'm Ashkenazi & trying to learn more about other Jewish cultures.) • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 • #JewishLit

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Cinfhen
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#AprilBookShowers so I may have been over eager yesterday as I posted a day early, so today it's 1.5 version...all #GardenTitles from my TBR 🌷🌸🌺🌹🌼🌸🌻🌺

BookMusings I didn't realize until I started reading the wrong book.... the girl in the garden and the girl from the garden are two different books! (edited) 7y
Cinfhen Hahaha, neither did I! I actually want to read the book I tagged not the one shown....ooops, need to correct that. Thanks😱 (edited) 7y
Cinfhen And now it's been corrected @BookMusings although the other book cover was prettier 😜 7y
BookMusings @Cinfhen even the covers are quite similar 😊 but yeah the other one's flowers are prettier. 7y
130 likes1 stack add4 comments
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BookishFeminist
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Pickpick

Beautiful, character-driven novel about a Jewish family in early 1900s Iran. Rakhel, a young wife, is unable to conceive & undergoes shame in society & in her family. Asher, her husband, makes radical decisions that send his family into turmoil so he can have a son. Underneath the family turmoil is a deep discussion about the role of women in Persian family life & their lack of agency, as well as how shame, desire, & power play out in families. 🏵

101 likes25 stack adds2 comments
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BookishFeminist

🍲🍜🍧🍚🍝🍯🍗🍤🍳🍣🌶

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BookishFeminist
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Happy Sunday! I'm enjoying a peaceful morning with the windows open while I have breakfast of tea, a fritter, and a book while the city wakes up. 😌🌄🌤

I'm enjoying this book about a wealthy Jewish family in Iran. I started on audio but it had to go back to the library, so I grabbed the print instead. The audio was helpful for pronunciations. 😀 It's well-written and addresses a lot of women's religious and family issues. 🙏🏽 #diverseathon

Soubhiville Bonus- beautiful cover! 8y
Posemn Good morning! I have a question for you. Is #diverseathon another book group reading a specific book each month ( like #lemonade) or simply a hashtag for collecting similar books. I am still learning my way around @Litsy. Have a wonderful Sunday! 8y
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BookishFeminist @Posemn It's a week-long readathon started over on Twitter & Instagram where you make an effort to read and discuss diverse books for a week. Not a book group! 8y
Posemn Okay thanks! I love all the books you and others are posting for #diverseathon. My stack is getting very high! 8y
Chachic What a lovely mug! 7y
114 likes22 stack adds6 comments
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chavalah
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Pickpick

Told in lyrical prose and a narrative that jumps around in time, this novel is a work of art. It concerns itself with an old family drama about a barren couple, a second wife and social ruin. It also explores what life was like for the Jewish minority in early 20th century, small town Iran. The book was very insular and a bit of a soap opera at times. But we got to see the inner lives of women in a rigid patriarchy, including fiery Rakhel.

MrBook Nice review and pic! 8y
chavalah @MrBook Thank you! 8y
10 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Baileythebookworm
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Wouldn't you sing, too, if you held all the wealth of this world in the palms of your hands?

Well-ReadNeck I have this one on hold at the library. Can't wait for it to come in so I can jump in. 8y
Baileythebookworm @Well-ReadNeck I just finished it, and it's so beautiful. Just an extraordinarily beautiful book 8y
9 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Baileythebookworm
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Treating myself tonight - a good book, a hot bath, and a bath bomb that came with a cute ring (because why not). The Girl from the Garden is one of the most poignant books I've read this year. It's perfect to sink into. The language is incredibly evocative and rich

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bookwrm526
Pickpick

Holy cow. That was stunning - the imagery, the feelings, the writing. It was not an easy read, the subject matter is difficult and I cried a few times, but it was worth it.