The second of three books from The Willoughby Book Club I received as part of my 3 month subscription. I assume they sent me this as I told them that I really liked The Kite Runner, once again this isn't the kind of book I would have picked up. The book tells us the story of Nahid and Masood, two young lovers from Tehran in the late 70's. They get caught up in the Iranian revolution in a way that puts their very existence at risk. Escape is the only option so they travel to Sweden on forged passports. The story then jumps to the present day with Nahid fighting cancer and with everyone else in her life. Along the way she reflects on the decisions she had made in her life and how everything turned out. ( )

This is a gut punch of a little book. It is emotionally wrenching, but also touching. The protagonist felt so real, with all the flaws and faults that we all have, even if we do a better job of hiding them from others. There's something devastating here for everyone, whether it's war and government oppression, domestic abuse, the refugee experience, the loss of loved ones, or slow death by cancer. Despite the overwhelming gloom, however, there's just a bit of light here, and the ending felt exactly correct to me. This is a short book, but one that has stuck in my mind since I put it down. ( )

Idealism, unbearable loss and survival. I am blown away by the powerful stories I have read lately in these shorter paged books. A story of a life ending too soon, Nahid, once had hopes for the future. In Iran, part of an idealistic group that believed in a better and fairer future for their country, suffers a horrible loss that will affect the rest of her life, and her daughters. Fleeing their country, they become refugees settling in Sweden.

The scars we carry with us, the pain that never dissolves, the feeling of never belonging, all part of Nahids life. Her voice as she tells her story is haunting, her pain and snguish almost unbearable, her wanting so large it takes her over. Mothers and daughters, the ties that bind but that can also strangle. Not a happy little book, but it has a raw honesty about the life of those who spend their lives where they feel they do not belong.

"Sand streams down to the earth because that's where it belongs. We can lift it, capture it, transport it. But even after oceans of time pass by, even after we've carried it across thousands of miles, sand will seek the earth again when the opportunity arises. So we are all bought d to our origins."

Roots and feeling rootless, makes one think about all the refugees seeking shelter. A difficult book to read emotionally, but one that does end on a note of hope. Makes one think as only the best of books can. ( )

Tiivis, hieno tarina elämästä, kuolemasta, elämästä. Iranin vallankumous, 12-vuotias äiti, perheväkivallan arkisuus, vihamielinen äiti-tytär -suhde, syöpä, rakkaus. Kaikki kietoutuvat yhteen pieneen, mutta niin suureen tarinaan.

"Minä kai sain päähäni, että olin itsenäinen olento, että olin enemmän kuin muiden osanen. Se oli aivan uusi ajatus, ja kesti suunnilleen pierun ajan." ( )

Please see my review on Amazon.com under C. Wong. Thank you. ( )