The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali – 320 pages
Book Blurb:
A novel set in 1953 Tehran against the backdrop of the Iranian Coup about a young couple in love who are separated on the eve of their marriage, and who are reunited sixty years later, after having moved on to live independent lives in America, to discover the truth about what happened on that fateful day in the town square.
My Review: 4 stars
Marjan Kamali was introduced to me when I read her first book, Together Tea, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Kamali has a way of cementing her characters into the readers’ hearts. The Stationery Shop is no different.
The two main characters, Roya and Bahman, fall in love although from different classes. This romance and ultimate separation fuels the novel. The story takes place in 1953 when Iran was floundering in political unrest, deadly demonstrations and animosity from both sides of the fence. Kamali allows the reader to understand the political situation, the coup d’etat and the reasons behind the charged atmosphere with ease. This book or Together Tea, would be a great companion read with Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.
The conflict on the streets of Iran were mirrored inside Roya’s home. This added another layer of depth to the story. Solid storyline, enjoyable read.
Quotes I liked:
And the young, who love so passionately, have no idea how ugly this world is….This world is without compassion.”
“Why doesn’t his heart let go? Why do some people say lodged in our souls, stuck in our throats, imprinted in our minds.?
“The past was always there, lurking in the corners, winking at you when you thought you’d moved on, hanging on to your organs from the inside.”
“The minute I heard my first love story, I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere. They’re in each other all along.” – Rumi
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