Marjan KamaliThe Stationery Shop

I learned a lot about Tehran and the political struggles. It was a love story that tested time, parent’s dreams and the political restraints. It was very well written.

Let me start by saying this is out of my typical reading genre. I got this book as a result of one of those Blind Date with a Book offerings and liked it so much that I bought another copy for a friend.This following section is basically a synopsis with no real spoilers, but if you're someone who doesn't read the inside of the jacket cover, you may want to skip this section.This story centers around a young boy and a girl (Bahman and Roya) who fall in love in 1953 Iran. The political turmoil is great. The threat of violence is ever present and it's hard to know who is a spy and who is on the political side you favor. When the young couple meet in a stationary shop, it is instant attraction. Each Tuesday they continue to meet until Bahman asks Roya to marry him. Not everyone is pleased with this match however. Bahman's mom, in particular, is vehemently opposed. Bahman, who is a political activist, needs to escape from the city and abruptly leaves. Roya knows little but she corresponds with him through letters hidden inside of books in the stationary shop. Bahman suggests they meet in the square and spontaneously get married. This never happens leaving Roya to always wonder why he stood her up that fateful day.This book is a surprising gem. I enjoyed so many things about it. I was pulled into Bahman and Roya's love story. The idea of young love and knowing that there are so many obstacles that stand in the way of their happiness was attention grabbing and heartbreaking. Learning so much about the political climate of Iran in 1953 was quite interesting. Furthermore, all of the cultural elements that were included in the text rounded this book out nicely. I enjoyed reading about customs, traditions, the culinary practices, and how America may have been viewed by Iranians during that time in history.Kamali did a great job developing the characters. It was easy to love Roya as both a young girl and the woman she eventually becomes. I felt her loss and struggle along the way. On the other hand, certain characters were easy to dislike because of their actions. In some ways, this book is so well written that I felt like I was tagging along for Roya's entire journey.Highly recommended!

Marjan Kamali has created a world so vivid, so filled with light and sound, so rife with emotions, so rich with the intoxicating scents and sights of Iran, that you want to live in its pages.1953, Tehran. Roya loves nothing better than to while away the hours in the local stationery shop run by Mr. Fakhri. The store, stocked with fountain pens, shiny ink bottles, and thick pads of writing paper, also carries translations of literature from all over the world. And when Mr. Fakhri introduces her to his other favorite customer -- handsome Bahman, with his burning passion for justice and a shared love for Rumi's poetry -- Roya loses her heart at once. But around them, life in Tehran is changing.On the eve of their marriage, Roya heads to the town square to meet with Bahman. Suddenly, shockingly, violence erupts: a coup d'etat that forever changes their country's future. Bahman never arrives.Roya must piece her life back together. Her parents, wanting her to be safe, enroll her in college in California, where she meets and marries another man. But, nearly sixty years later, an accident of fate finally brings her the answer she has always wanted to know - Why did you leave? Where did you go? How is it that you were able to forget me?As I first started reading, I was pulled into the beauty of this story initially through the words on the page and the idea of a romance. From there the plot and characters took me so much deeper into their world and culture. Therefore, as I delved further into the pages of this exquisite story, I began to learn so much more about Iran’s history during a tumultuous time, along with the politics and customs of the region.Not only was this story beautifully written, it was also filed with the savory tastes of Persian food. Whenever Kamali would write about Roya’s family cooking my mouth would water. She really has a way of making the each of the delicacies jump off the page, and had me looking up Persian recipes to try in my own kitchen.I cannot thank Kamali enough for creating the perfect ending to a timeless story. The ending was not rushed, it wasn’t fake, it wasn’t convoluted, and it wasn’t cheesy…It was moving, poignant and real. When I turned the last page and closed the book, I went to bed knowing I had read not only an amazing story, but that I had read a wonderful work of art.Overall, The Stationery Shop is not to be missed for fans of stories about families, cultural reads, delectable food, and historical fiction lovers like me who love all these other things, too. Get ready to read a powerful, emotional love story set on a strong historical backdrop.