From the award-nominated author of Together Tea and The Lion Women of Tehran, a poignant, “powerful” (The Wall Street Journal) and “affecting novel about first love” (Real Simple) that explores loss, reconciliation, and the quirks of fate.
Roya, a dreamy, idealistic teenager living amid the political upheaval of 1953 Tehran, finds a literary oasis in kindly Mr. Fakhri’s neighborhood stationery shop, stocked with books and pens and bottles of jewel-colored ink.
Then Mr. Fakhri, with a keen instinct for a budding romance, introduces Roya to his other favorite customer—handsome Bahman, who has a burning passion for justice and a love for Rumi’s poetry—and she loses her heart at once. Their romance blossoms, and the little stationery shop remains their favorite place in all of Tehran.
A few short months later, on the eve of their marriage, Roya agrees to meet Bahman at the town square when violence erupts—a result of the coup d’etat that forever changes their country’s future. In the chaos, Bahman never shows. For weeks, Roya tries desperately to contact him, but her efforts are fruitless. With a sorrowful heart, she moves on—to college in California, to another man, to a life in New England—until, more than sixty years later, an accident of fate leads her back to Bahman and offers her a chance to ask him the questions that have haunted her for more than half a century: Why did you leave? Where did you go? How is it that you were able to forget me?
Publisher : Gallery Books; Reprint edition (February 11, 2020)
Language : English
Paperback : 336 pages
ISBN-10 : 1982107499
ISBN-13 : 978-1982107499
Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
Dimensions : 5.63 x 0.9 x 8.38 inches
Customers say
Customers find the storyline compelling, with a political backdrop and richly realized characters. They also describe the writing style as beautifully written and wonderfully descriptive. Readers say the book ends well and provides enough closure, making it an interesting discussion for bookclubs. They appreciate the sensorial details and say it would make an interesting book discussion.
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