The Septembers of Shiraz: A Novel (P.S.)
by Dalia Sofer
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Book Summary Information
Author: Dalia SoferEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-05-01
ISBN: 0061130419
Number of pages: 368
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Book Reviews of The Septembers of Shiraz: A Novel (P.S.)
Book Review: The Septembers of Shiraz
Summary: 4 Stars
Dalia Sofer's debut novel, the Orange Prize 2008 longlisted The Septembers of Shiraz, is set in Iran, the country of Sofer's birth, two years after the revolution in which the shah was toppled.
The story centres around the Amin family. Isaac Amin, who grew up with little, has worked hard at his gemstone business in order to bring him, his wife Farnaz, and their two children eighteen year-old Parviz and nine year-old Shireen a comfortable quality of life. Parviz has been sent to study architecture in New York, and, at this stage of Isaac's life, the world should be rosy.
However, Isaac is Jewish by birth, even though he has never been religious. This coupled with his wealth draws the attention and ire of the new revolutionary government. Isaac finds himself in trouble - and his family struggles to cope.
Sofer's novel is a disturbing and absorbing tale of the effects of revolution. The brutal horrors of incarceration and interrogation are vividly evoked, as is the irony of the imprisonment of those who campaigned against the Shah's regime in favour of democracy, only to find that democracy was not on the agenda.
The Amins' life slowly falls apart as relatives and friends either flee, are imprisoned, or are executed. Sofer captures this disintegration of society well, mingling the traumas of major life events seamlessly with the scents, sights and sounds of a country caught between two identities. The colourful bazaars, the vendors roasting corn on the cob on street corners, and the pattern of life for the middle class with servants living in their basements are all remnants of the past, while the rise of the Revolutionary Guards, adherence to strict Muslim laws and condemnation of westernised life look uneasily to the future.
This is powerful first novel about a country in turmoil.
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