Post by Junkyarddog on Jan 16, 2017 17:12:08 GMT
This warm, intelligent novel captivated me. The prose is elegant and the narrative wonderfully descriptive. Talla and Sardar leave their childhood village for a new life in Tehran. Eventually they have a son, Bahram. Talla is feisty, unworldly, afraid but strong, a formidable woman I much admired. Sardar is hard working and compassionate. Bahram is proud, young, intelligent but conflicted. Their story is set against the backdrop of fifty years of change - the political and social upheaval and modernisation in Iran in the 20th century.
This family saga is engaging and the characters are likeable. Maybe Reza has been kind to them but life is also often hard. Essentially this is a universal tale of love and life; funny and sad, full of pain and joy.
Over time the family has to adapt to wider society and inevitable change, good and bad, while holding onto what matters in life. This portrait of Iranian society shows that we all share the same hopes and fears.
The Gardens of Consolation is a début and deserved prize winner, ('Prix Senghor', 2015). Reza is an author from Tehran who moved to France at 17, the dual perspectives benefitting the novel. Reza has is no axe to grind, like some émigré writers, just understanding and compassion for the human experience. The Gardens of Consolation is a love story that resonates, it has vast scope and ambition - a delight to read. Parisa Reza has made a strong start with this novel and I look forward to more.