Elham

Well, it doesn't have anything for me. Well written? Yes; but are all things which are important for a reader, the styles only?! I think I don't like to read the well-written diaries of a mother-wife-housekeeper woman who is sacrificing all her time for such things and then after 17 years she finally, because of a new neighbor – a forty years old man who lives with his mother and daughter- feels she is tired of this living and then what she does?! Nothing! Continues living in such way.

And another point is, this novel has nothing to do with Iran, Iranian culture and people of the years this novel refers to (1960s). The woman, Clarisse is a Christian Armenian, a minority in Iran, living in Abadan with her husband and children and mother and sister in a specific part in this southern city which is separated for engineers working in Gas and Oil companies.

I can't call this even a historical fiction novel about Armenian people. It was more like a chick lit ; single women look for husbands and mothers worry about dust on furniture and parties they have and their lipstick and hair and…

At least she could have written more about women right issues but she's just pointing to another Iranian (not Armenian) activist and that Armenian women are in better situation than Iranian women. She disappointingly and disturbingly separates herself from Iranian culture and politics (even has some arguments with her husband's political activities (that it's not their business and…)), the country in which she is living and his husband has job there and … although she in some ways tries to show her concerns toward other native people in Abadan, I think it wasn't enough. She's more like a western writer looking from above to Iran who drinks coffee – not tea (Iranian public drink) where men kiss women's hands for greetings and other western luxuries. Well, these things are good, but I prefer to read an Atwood instead.