Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
The backdrop is Tehran, beginning in 1950 and continuing through the present. Seven-year-old Ellie and her parents live in comfort, but things change upon her father’s sudden death. While the cultural custom at the time dictates that her father’s brother provide for them, Ellie and her mother need to leave their home and move to an apartment where they share a mattress. With her mother grieving widowhood and loss of status, Ellie is lonely and isolated. Finally, she is enrolled in school and meets Homa, and the two forge a lifelong friendship.
We follow them through school to university, where a betrayal causes a serious rift in their friendship. While they live their lives separate, each yearns for the renewal of their friendship. The political turmoil of their country eventually brings a reconciliation for them.
The characters are well-defined, and their relationship is touching. Dialog is realistic, but the use of Farsi/Persian words was a bit overdone and disruptive to the flow. As historical fiction, the author does an excellent job of bringing the reader into the time and place. The culture is brought alive by accounts of societal mores and cuisines.
candysplanet 