Rated of 5
by Nancy L. (Denver, NC) Children of the Jacaranda Tree
It's hard to believe that extremely religious people are so heartless. Even though that is the case in the US sometimes, it has never been as wicked as in Iran. A child is born while the mother and father are in prison as revolutionaries. The mother's sisters are also in prison - their children being cared for by an aunt and grandmother. The family's story is continued into the following years with heartbreaking details as to how they are affected by their history. Sad but true.
Rated of 5
by Toby S. (Seattle, WA) I'm stunned by this book and extremely moved
Only rarely have I experienced in a book such pain and horror while at the same time experiencing such beautiful writing. The author, Sahar Delijani has written a novelized version of 3 generations of her family in Tehran, Iran.
Starting with the imprisonment and execution of some of her family members in 1983 in Evin Prison the author proceeds through two more generations until some of the third generation members of the family have emigrated to other countries by 2011.
Past and present are intertwined in extremely moving and vivid prose. Unbearable secrets are gradually revealed to the younger generations. I have read many books dealing with the worst world situations (Soviet Union, China, Nazi Germany, Rwanda and more) and can only be grateful that writers such as Sarah Delijani are brave enough to enlighten me of the horrors that exist in so many places.
I highly recommend "Children of the Jacaranda" although it is so painful to read. I often needed to take a break with tears in my eyes although I couldn't NOT finish it! This is a first-rate fictionalized memoir.
Rated of 5
by Karen R Stunning Debut
This story grabbed me from the first paragraph. It is set in post-revolutionary Iran, and delves into how the aftermath of the Iran-Iraq war forever changed families' lives. This was a war in which many thousands of people were executed, others spending years living in inhumane prison conditions. The author’s inspiration comes from her own family that was affected by this war, an uncle executed and her parents imprisoned. Those readers looking for a story that is action packed will not find that here. The chapters follow the normal routines of husbands, wives, fathers, sons, and daughters coping to make the best of an awful situation, their stories intertwining. The resilience of these people in such atrocious conditions is stunning. The details contained within will stay with me for a long time.
Fearless, gripping, at once darkly funny and tender, spanning three continents and numerous lives, Americanah is a richly told story set in today's globalized world.
The story of an American family, middle class in middle America, ordinary in every way but one. But that exception is the beating heart of this extraordinary novel.
First time novelist Vaddey Ratner captured my heart and senses in this novel based on her childhood in Cambodia. Her story transcends any news story...
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From the first page, I was drawn in by the lyrical writing of the author and mesmerized as the narrator, eight year old Raami, remembered the years...
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Trite but true, all good things must come to an end. I so wanted to keep reading the wonderful prose, the settings that let one think they are part...
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Kenn Nesbitt is new Children's Poet Laureate(Jun 12 2013) Kenn Nesbitt has been named the new Children's Poet Laureate: Consultant in Children's Poetry to the Poetry Foundation, which noted that the two-year position...
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of 5
by Nancy L. (Denver, NC) 
of 5
by Toby S. (Seattle, WA) 
