Rated of 5
by Chris W. (Temple City, CA) Beautiful debut
This multigenerational, heartbreaking story of families in post-revolutionary Iran is mesmerizing and beautifully written. Imprisonment, torture, execution, constant fear, and families torn apart are difficult to read about; and yet there is also hope and love among the family members and "proof that it's possible to reconstruct something beautiful out of devastated debris." Such a personal look into their lives motivates me to learn more about Iran. There is much here to discuss by book club members.
Rated of 5
by Robin M. (Newark, DE) Read it in 4 Days!
I am always intrigued by books about the Middle-East and have enjoyed reading biographies and memoirs since my childhood. Children of the Jacaranda Tree was no exception. This book grabbed my interest on the first page, and I read 60 pages before putting it down that first time.
Delijani's writing is often lyrical, almost poetic, and although she is describing sometimes horrible events, the story is beautifully written. Delijani's descriptions of the settings are among the best I've ever read.
I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy books about the Middle-East and biographies/memoirs, and I would read other books that Delijani writes.
Rated of 5
by Caroline R. (New Canaan, CT) Children of the Jacaranda Tree
This is a multi-generational story about the inhumane and tragic treatment of people in post-revolutionary Iran. The presence of so many characters and so much suffering made it difficult to follow at times. I liked that the story started and ended with Neda with a spark of hope...
Rated of 5
by Ariel F. (Madison, WI) Gripping debut novel
I found Children of the Jacaranda Tree to be a gripping story of what happened in the Iranian revolution after the Shah was over thrown. I felt that while this was a novel, the author based it on what she had really heard that had happened to either family members or friends. It was challenging reading due to some of its emotional content, beginning with a mother going into labor in a van on the way to prison. While many of the characters in the novel lived in fear, they were determined to make a good in spite of everything. I would recommend this book to book clubs as a good discussion book.
Rated of 5
by Lori L. (La Porte, IN) Children of the Jacaranda Tree
Although this is a deeply sad book, I did enjoy it. It reminded me, in a way, of "The Kite Runner" in that it offered insight into the lives of individuals living under a brutal, repressive regime in the Middle East. The only thing lacking in this book was a sense of what life was like prior to the beatings, imprisonments, torture and death, so we know what the revolutionaries were fighting for. I would recommend this book to book clubs, particularly those with an interest in other cultures or historical fiction.
Rated of 5
by Elizabeth D. (LONGBOAT KEY, FL) Avid reader
What an amazing debut novel. Not only is the writing extraordinary, the story is one that is not well known in the west - the consequences of the ongoing Iranian revolution. It starts with the gripping story of a young woman imprisoned for speaking out against the new regime in 1983. The horror of giving birth as a prisoner serves to illuminate the methods of torture, physical and emotional. Fear is the underlying emotion of a society held hostage by its ruling class. Who can be trusted? The story goes on the describe the differences in responses of three generations to unthinkable and unpredictable methods of repression. While the story is heartbreaking in part, most of all it describes the perseverance of the human spirit determined not to be destroyed even by those will kill anyone who dares to question or speak out. Love, hope and resilience guide those who make a life in spite of the fear. Highly recommended. A beautiful book.
A bold, mesmerizing novel about the woman known as "Typhoid Mary," the first known healthy carrier of typhoid fever in the burgeoning metropolis of early twentieth century New York.
Z, the novel about the life of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald is at points charming and; like another reviewer, I kept thinking of the movie, "Midnight...
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Although heavy on the scientific details, which slowed down the story for me (OK, I admit, I was one of those liberal arts majors who skipped out on...
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Loved this book. Magical, quirky, enchanting I could go on. All books do not have to be literary fiction, sometimes it is just so comforting to read...
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British Parliament asks Amazon to clarify why it pays $9 million in income tax on $23 billion of UK sales.(May 20 2013) Amazon will be called back to give further evidence to members of the British Parliament "to clarify how its activities in the U.K. justify its low corporate...
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of 5
by Chris W. (Temple City, CA) 
of 5
by Caroline R. (New Canaan, CT) 
