Christel Gomes | goddess.gomes@gmail.com
the ridge transmedia
A NUSSU Publication
Photo: http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0316065765.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
In 17th Century Persia, a young 14 year old girl’s plans for marriage are shattered when her father dies and the family is left without a dowry. Village superstition burdens her with the cloud of bad luck and the girl travels to the city of Isfahan with her mother to live with a rich relative, only to be treated like servants.
Her aunt decides to sell her for a price to a contractual three-month marriage (renewable) to a wealthy horse-trader who takes the thing most precious to a girl of that time – her virginity.
Gravitating between shame and desperation the girl cooks up new ways of keeping her lover interested enough to renew the marriage, discovering her sexuality along the way. At the same time, she attempts to master the art of carpet making – her first love – under the tutelage of her uncle.
Set with the historical backdrop of Emperor Shah Abbas’ rule in the 1620s, “at which point the Shah had succeeded in defending the borders of Iran, vanquishing his internal political enemies, and creating a climate where the arts could flourish,” the novel displays true Iranian cultural authenticity.
Amirrezvani’s lush imagery, delicious prose, and journalistic lucidity carry the reader through a sensuous, informative and heartbreaking journey, highlighting the plight of women in Persia’s patriarchal system.
Language is simple but used masterfully to weave an intricate literary fabric so fine that it rivals even the elaborate silken designs of Gostaham’s carpets. The reader cannot help but be caught up in the remarkable beauty of a literary mosaic so rich in image and feeling, so exotic in time and space.
In her Author’s note, Amirrezvani states, “Although the main characters in The Blood of Flowers are fictional, I have tried to stay true to events that have shaped their lives and ways of thinking.” The book is a proud result of nine years of research.
Characters in the novel are convincing, with the protagonist starting out as innocent and charming, growing determined and street-wise, displaying her honesty and lovable fallibility. The plot is engaging and quick, turning pages is easy. The narrative structure itself weaves between Persian fairytale – which implies metaphorical meaning to the lives of Amirrezvani’s characters – and the real world of the protagonist.
I frequently chide myself for careless spending on infinitely more books than my bookshelves can hold. This one was worth every penny.
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