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128th out of 224 books
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61 voters
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The Blood of Flowers
by
Anita Amirrezvani (Goodreads Author)
In the fabled city of Isfahan, in seventeenth-century Persia, a young woman confronts a dismal fate: Her beloved father had died and left her without a dowry. Forced to work as a servant in the home of her uncle, a rich rug designer in the court of the Shah, the young woman blossoms as a brilliant designer of carpets. But while her talent flourishes, her prospects for a ha...more
Paperback, 377 pages
Published
May 2nd 2008
by Back Bay Books
(first published June 5th 2007)
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This is my second novel about Iran , the first was (Samarkand) , both are historical , but while (Samarkand ) took political & ideological path , this one dealt with one of the Persian art formats and the cultural and social conditions that surrounded its uniqueness and perfection .and in the same time with a feminine feelings and sprit ..
In few words : (the blood of flowers) is the complicated and passionate journey of a fiery ... talented female carpet designer towards maturity an...more
In few words : (the blood of flowers) is the complicated and passionate journey of a fiery ... talented female carpet designer towards maturity an...more
view all 6 comments
3 1/2 stars
This story takes place in the 1620s in Isfahan, Persia (Iran). After her father's death, a teenage girl (never named) and her mother travel from their small village to Isfahan to live with a relative. They are mostly treated like household slaves/servants, but the girl manages to gain skills in rug design from her uncle, a prominent rugmaker.
I liked the story, but far too much of the book was taken up with the narrator's sigheh (a temporary, renewable "...more
This story takes place in the 1620s in Isfahan, Persia (Iran). After her father's death, a teenage girl (never named) and her mother travel from their small village to Isfahan to live with a relative. They are mostly treated like household slaves/servants, but the girl manages to gain skills in rug design from her uncle, a prominent rugmaker.
I liked the story, but far too much of the book was taken up with the narrator's sigheh (a temporary, renewable "...more
Lisa Vegan
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everyone who enjoys novels, historical fiction novels
I will never again look at Persian/Iranian carpets in the same way. This book makes me want to view many examples of such carpets so that I can now fully appreciate their artistry.
This is a finely crafted first novel and I really hope that this author writes more novels. I love her writing style and storytelling.
I was completely immersed in the story, characters, and the time & place of this book. I loved the stories within the story, the depiction of a particular woman’s...more
This is a finely crafted first novel and I really hope that this author writes more novels. I love her writing style and storytelling.
I was completely immersed in the story, characters, and the time & place of this book. I loved the stories within the story, the depiction of a particular woman’s...more
The story was interesting, but I was disappointed overall. I had high expectations of language and wordplay, and it really felt like a highly-sexed YA style--little sophistication. The protagonist annoyed the crap out of me, and thus made it hard for me to feel any sympathy for her plight. The information about the making of rugs was great, though, and reading about the colors and knots almost makes this a three starred books. My favorite parts of the books were the fairy tales interjected, ...more
This novel provides a fascinating look into the culture of 17th century Persia, especially from the perspective of women of all social classes. Particularly fascinating was the detailed look at the art of rugmaking and the traditional folk stories told by the narrator and the narrator's mother. I also liked that the narrator was headstrong and willful, but in a realistic way that often ended in tragedy for her. Such a narrator made the story accessible for both a modern and a Western audience...more
Set in 17th-century Isfahan, Persia (Iran), Anita Amirrezvani's first book is a tale of a young woman (with her mother playing a smaller role) who has to learn how to financially and emotionally survive after the sudden loss of her father. With the help of a family friend and innate talent and passion, she seizes upon rug making as her ticket out of poverty. As her skill as a rug maker grows, so does her understanding of who she is herself--as a grown woman, daughter, friend, lover, artist. With...more
I listened to the audio verion of this book & can't believe I finished it in two days. I was browsing around my library's audio book website & came across this one. Sounded interesting. It takes place in 17th century Persia, told from the point of view of a 14 year old girl who has lost her father, so she & her mother must move to the big city to live with relatives. I really enjoyed this story. I don't know anything about this area of the world during this time period & found the story very int...more
Beautiful. The descriptions of food, clothing, rug-weaving, social customs....all a sumptuous feast. Brings early 17th century Persia to life through the voice of a young girl and her difficult and redemptive journey.
Paired nicely with the August 2008 National Geographic cover story!
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/0...
Note: I wondered throughout why the author chose to use 'Iran' instead of Persia...in addition to geographic variances throughout history...more
Paired nicely with the August 2008 National Geographic cover story!
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/0...
Note: I wondered throughout why the author chose to use 'Iran' instead of Persia...in addition to geographic variances throughout history...more
The Blood of Flowers is the story of a young girl (never named) in 17C Persia whose father dies unexpectedly and left destitute. She and her mother are forced to seek shelter from her uncle, a wealthy rug maker in the city of Isfahan. Despite their status in the household as nothing better than servants the girl shows a talent for rug making and design and with no male heir of his own to succeed in his craft her uncle takes the girl under his tutelage. Enough of the reviews recap the story suffi...more
Simmonsmry
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everyone
Recommended to Simmonsmry by:
I reviewed this stunning debut novel for BookPleasures.com.
In the blink of an eye, everything can change. One tragic event can send lives spiralling down a staircase full of unknowns.
In her debut novel, Anita Amirrezvani explores this theory through the eyes of a young Iranian woman living in the 17th century. At the age of 14, the unnamed narrator is looking forward to a new chapter in her life. She is expecting to be married before the year is out and her only troubles come from worrying about how her family will raise a sufficient dowry ...more
In her debut novel, Anita Amirrezvani explores this theory through the eyes of a young Iranian woman living in the 17th century. At the age of 14, the unnamed narrator is looking forward to a new chapter in her life. She is expecting to be married before the year is out and her only troubles come from worrying about how her family will raise a sufficient dowry ...more
"First there wasn't and then there was. Before God, no one was."
A much more poetic opening than “Once upon a time…” don’t you think? This is Anita Amirrezvani's rough translation of an Iranian expression that begins each of the traditional Iranian or Islamic stories/folk tales she intersperses throughout her first novel The Blood of Flowers. This beautiful novel is set in seventeenth century Persia (although the narrator often refers to her country as Iran so i supp...more
A much more poetic opening than “Once upon a time…” don’t you think? This is Anita Amirrezvani's rough translation of an Iranian expression that begins each of the traditional Iranian or Islamic stories/folk tales she intersperses throughout her first novel The Blood of Flowers. This beautiful novel is set in seventeenth century Persia (although the narrator often refers to her country as Iran so i supp...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Having a limited knowledge of this culture, and a huge fascination for it was a delight to read. It was curious to me how the culture embraces, yet keeps its "own" distant simultaniously. We are family; now clean the night pots! That would not be tolerated in a typical American family; but sadly most Americans would not extend the hand out either. Liken to a good movie it left me feeling satisfied, yet yearning. Definatly an easy read, and entertaining if you let yourself get lost in t...more
I enjoyed this book, but I wish I could give it a half a star. I liked it because it is about a country and a history I don't know much about. Set in Iran, 17th century. It was great all the way up to the ending. Don't get me wrong, it was alright. I just wish it would have ended a different way. Maybe it is the American Female in me, wanting everything to end peachy and happy. I don't want to give anything away, but to me it was more abstract. Kind of a "you decide how you think it ends"...more
Blood in the Flowers,
Anita Amirrezvani
narrated by Shohreh Aghdashloo, produced by Hachette Audio, and downloaded from audible.com.
This is the story of a Persian girl in 17th centuryPersia, now Iran. The story takes us through five years, from the time she is 14 until she is 19. She is a middle-class girl in a village with plans made by her parents for her to marry. But her father dies, leaving her and her mother destitute, and they are forced to move to Isfahan sinc...more
Anita Amirrezvani
narrated by Shohreh Aghdashloo, produced by Hachette Audio, and downloaded from audible.com.
This is the story of a Persian girl in 17th centuryPersia, now Iran. The story takes us through five years, from the time she is 14 until she is 19. She is a middle-class girl in a village with plans made by her parents for her to marry. But her father dies, leaving her and her mother destitute, and they are forced to move to Isfahan sinc...more
This book tells the story of a 14 year old nameless young woman in 17th century Persia (now Iran), who after her father's death, is forced to seek support from her uncle. Her mother and she, then travel to the city of Isfahan to shelter at Gostaham's house. As destitute relatives they are the lowest of the low, and treated as such by his wife, Gordiyeh, and family members. Gostaham, a master carpet weaver himself, is kinder, and impressed by the heroine's artistic talent is persuaded to teach he...more
I could not find anything terribly great about the book. I liked the narration a lot. Actually, I think it helped make this audio production more than I would have recommended it otherwise. The reader was exquisite is all that I can think describe her. While it's not uncommon that I highly rate chick flicks, this book is perhaps one that I think can mostly be appreciated by ladies. One of my past Audible selections was He Said She Said and through it I have come to understand that men and women ...more
Here's an old review I wrote 2 years ago on this novel...
"رواية جامدة...الكاتبة امريكية ايرانية و الكتاب احداثه فى ايران فى القرن ال17 ...الكتاب بيحكى عن بنت تسيب القرية مع امها بعد وفاة والدها و يروحوا يعيشوا عند عمها اللى بيعمل سجاجيد للشاه...
ممتع لاخر درجة...و درجات الرمادى موجودة فى الشخصيات...مش ابيض و اسود...مخلية الشخصيات حقيقية اوى...
احلى حاجة تطور الاحداث و ازاى البنت بتبنى نفسها بنفسها...
الرواية غنية باحداث و مشاعر...انا فاكرة من كتر ما انا ...more
"رواية جامدة...الكاتبة امريكية ايرانية و الكتاب احداثه فى ايران فى القرن ال17 ...الكتاب بيحكى عن بنت تسيب القرية مع امها بعد وفاة والدها و يروحوا يعيشوا عند عمها اللى بيعمل سجاجيد للشاه...
ممتع لاخر درجة...و درجات الرمادى موجودة فى الشخصيات...مش ابيض و اسود...مخلية الشخصيات حقيقية اوى...
احلى حاجة تطور الاحداث و ازاى البنت بتبنى نفسها بنفسها...
الرواية غنية باحداث و مشاعر...انا فاكرة من كتر ما انا ...more
This novel tells the story of a young Iranian girl who lives in a small village with her mother and father. Her father is a carpet maker and she learns from him how to knot the rugs. One day while her father is out harvesting in the fields he faints or something like that. He dies the next day and thus leaving his wife and daughter in a perilous predicament as they have no one to provide income to their home any longer. This little family doesn't really have any family to turn to for help except...more
reprinted from my column on Naugatuck.Patch.Com:
Read This! The Blood of Flowers
I just read The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani, and I loved it. It is the story of an unnamed girl, living in a small village in 17th century Persia, whose childhood was filled with dreams of marrying a loving husband, having lots of children, and living happily ever after. Of course that didn’t happen. Her dreams were destroyed when her father died suddenly, leaving the girl and her mother with no ...more
Read This! The Blood of Flowers
I just read The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani, and I loved it. It is the story of an unnamed girl, living in a small village in 17th century Persia, whose childhood was filled with dreams of marrying a loving husband, having lots of children, and living happily ever after. Of course that didn’t happen. Her dreams were destroyed when her father died suddenly, leaving the girl and her mother with no ...more
In the Blood of Flowers, we are transported to 17th century Iran, into the life of our unnamed narrator. With the death of her father, she and her mother are put into a very precarious situation and when the food runs out, they finally must rely on the charity of their extended family. Not only must they move to the city - to the brilliant Isfahan, jewel of Persia, but they must live as second class citizens in their own household. Our narrator's love of carpet making is slowly encouraged as she...more
THE BLOOD OF FLOWERS
By Anita Amirrezvani
(Headline Review)
SET in 17th century Iran, this novel is the tale of a young village girl who has her destiny shattered after a comet blazing across the sky is seen as a bad sign.
Her family is about to arrange her marriage but the comet spells disaster. And after the death of her father, her hopes of marriage are dashed.
The nameless heroine and her mother go in search of her uncle, Gostaham, in the city of I...more
By Anita Amirrezvani
(Headline Review)
SET in 17th century Iran, this novel is the tale of a young village girl who has her destiny shattered after a comet blazing across the sky is seen as a bad sign.
Her family is about to arrange her marriage but the comet spells disaster. And after the death of her father, her hopes of marriage are dashed.
The nameless heroine and her mother go in search of her uncle, Gostaham, in the city of I...more
Listening to this book on my iPod was an absolute delight, both because of narrator Shohreh Aghdashloo’s mesmerizing voice and for the quality of the story itself. Set in 17th-century Persia “The Blood of Flowers” introduces readers to a nameless young woman whose life is forever changed by the appearance of a comet, which common belief signals the advent of misfortune. Within days her father dies, her marriage prospects end, and her mother and she are plunged into poverty. Eventually they take ...more
An interesting story, crafted by a first-time author, whose protoganist is a woman rug designer and knotter in 17th-century Iran. Like the intriquicies of a Persian rug, the story unfolds with stories within a story.
I liked the author's style, but I think I kept looking for something more (much like the protoganist's uncle who kept looking for something more in the carpets designed and knotted by his niece).
I learned some of the hardships facing a woman alone during thi...more
I liked the author's style, but I think I kept looking for something more (much like the protoganist's uncle who kept looking for something more in the carpets designed and knotted by his niece).
I learned some of the hardships facing a woman alone during thi...more
I really don't know what to think about this book. I had fairly high expectations (due to it having been compared to The Kite Runner in several places), but they certainly weren't met. Still, this definitely wasn't a bad book. It tells the story of a young girl who grows up and learns a great deal along the way. This is hardly unusual, though the fact that she learns most of her lessons by making *really* stupid mistakes makes it an interesting read. Also, I found the narrator quite a sympatheti...more
Another book I picked up because I enjoyed talking with the author so much when I met her at the Dubai Festival of Books. I thought that I would read a few pages of it over a month or so but found myself two days later staying up half the night to finish it as I was so enthralled with the story and the main character’s will to survive, saved and damned by her wisdom and naivite along the way. But most of all, I like how the writer surprised me by avoiding the clichés of melodrama—characters do...more
I found this one when searching for a book to fit a challenge task requiring a historical fiction set in a Middle Eastern country other than Egypt. This one is set in 17th century Persia/Iran and sounded interesting so I went with it. And I am so glad that I found it. I learned so much about the tradition, the culture, the country, the religious practices, etc. all told through an intriguing story of a young girl.
Born in a rural setting, she and her mother must travel to Isfahan, the...more
Born in a rural setting, she and her mother must travel to Isfahan, the...more
What a great book! This is the story of a (nameless) young woman who is a talented carpet maker growing up in sixteenth century Iran. A comet streaks through the sky and is interpreted as dire. Calamity follows in the form of the death of the carpet maker's father, a hungry winter, and being housed by rich relatives who treat the carpet maker and her mother like servants.
When the carpet maker's virginity is sold in a three-month marriage contract, she learns about the shadows and lig...more
When the carpet maker's virginity is sold in a three-month marriage contract, she learns about the shadows and lig...more
My cousin Susan, who lives in Germany, sent me this book. It turned out to be a real gem.
This is Anita Amirrezvani's first novel and she has done a terrific job. The Blood of Flowers is the tale of a 14 year old village girl who lives in 17th Century Persia. This young girl (who remains nameless throughout the book) is looking forward to becoming engaged before the end of the year. She is a talented, but amateur carpet maker. She adores her father and mother and they adore her. ...more
This is Anita Amirrezvani's first novel and she has done a terrific job. The Blood of Flowers is the tale of a 14 year old village girl who lives in 17th Century Persia. This young girl (who remains nameless throughout the book) is looking forward to becoming engaged before the end of the year. She is a talented, but amateur carpet maker. She adores her father and mother and they adore her. ...more
Despite its unique setting of 17th-century Iran, THE BLOOD OF FLOWERS makes easy work of what I've come to think of as the Commercial Historical Fiction checklist. This includes:
--Poverty following a surprise death or event
--Stingy relatives
--A romantic relationship with a rich gentleman who may or may not turn out to be a jerkface.
In this case it's a young girl whose family falls on hard times after her father passes away, and she and her mother are forced to move...more
--Poverty following a surprise death or event
--Stingy relatives
--A romantic relationship with a rich gentleman who may or may not turn out to be a jerkface.
In this case it's a young girl whose family falls on hard times after her father passes away, and she and her mother are forced to move...more
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“Be like the date that grows sweeter and sweeter , even though the soil that nourishes it is rocky and harsh”
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“First there wasn't, then there was. Before God no one was.”
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