The Girl from the Garden

Author: Parnaz Foroutan
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2015
Pages: 288
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: For all his wealth and success, Asher Malacouti - the head of a prosperous Jewish family living in the Iranian town of Kermanshah - cannot have the one thing he desires above all: a male son. His young wife Rakhel trapped in an oppressive marriage at a time when a woman's worth is measured by her fertility, is made desperate by her failure to conceive, and grows jealous and vindictive.

Her despair is compounded by her sister-in-law Khorsheed's pregnancy and her husband's growing desire for Kokab, his cousin's wife. Frustrated by his wife's inability to bear him an heir, Asher makes a fateful choice that will shatter the household and drive Rakhel to dark extremes to save herself and preserve her status within the family.

Witnessed through the memories of the family's only surviving daughter, Mahboubeh, now an elderly woman living in Los Angeles, The Girl from the Garden unfolds the complex, tragic history of her family in a long-lost Iran of generations past. Haunting, suspenseful, and inspired by events in the author's own family, it is an evocative and poignant exploration of sacrifice, betrayal, and the indelible legacy of the families that forge us.

Review: I don't know what it is about this time of year, but I seem to find myself reading books set in the Middle East in December. For example, When the Apricots Bloom.

At first I wasn't sure how I felt about The Girl from the Garden. Dark themes, unlikeable characters, a shifting timeline, and unrelated to the story, long chapters. However, this is a book that grow on you. It's one I considered quitting, but I felt a pull. Chapters 11 and 12 are the reward for reading chapters 1-10. What an amazing story that I won't soon forget.

If you're like me, you may be curious about what parts of this story are autobiographical of Foroutan's family. I googled and came across this video. The interview is interesting, but if you want to hear her speak about this book specifically, start at the 19:18 minute mark.