We were a world of two, my mother and I, until I started turning into an American girl. That's when she began telling me about The Good read full description
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Feb 18, 2011
Nancy
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We were a world of two, my mother and I, until I started turning into an American girl That's when she began telling me about The Good Daughter. It became a taunt, a warning, an omen.
Jasmin Darznik came to America from Iran when she was only three years old, and she grew up knowing very little about her family's history. When she was in her early twenties, on a day shortly following her father's death, Jasmin was helping her mother move; a photograph fell from a stack of old letters. More...
Jasmin Darznik came to America from Iran when she was only three years old, and she grew up knowing very little about her family's history. When she was in her early twenties, on a day shortly following her father's death, Jasmin was helping her mother move; a photograph fell from a stack of old letters. More...
May 01, 2011
Virginia
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Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via the Goodreads First Reads program. (Awesome!)
I did not know a lot about the recent history of Iran prior to reading this book, aside from having watched the movie Persepolis. It was a little hard to wrap my mind around all of the things that happen to the author's mother, which seem so medieval - these were recent events, relatively speaking. The author's mother is the same age as my mother. (Who had a very d More...
I did not know a lot about the recent history of Iran prior to reading this book, aside from having watched the movie Persepolis. It was a little hard to wrap my mind around all of the things that happen to the author's mother, which seem so medieval - these were recent events, relatively speaking. The author's mother is the same age as my mother. (Who had a very d More...
Aug 03, 2011
Christina
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I couldn't put this one down, but it was so disturbingly sad I don't know that I recommend it. (Spoilers ahead) The author was born in Iran and grew up in America. The story follows her grandmother, her mother and herself through their daily life and struggles. The grandmother is the ninth child and a favorite of her mother's, but that doesn't stop her from being married off to pay her brother's gambling debts. Her husband is indifferent, callous, and later takes up with another woman, but t
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Apr 16, 2011
dragonflyy419
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This tale is beautifully rendered and brings the reader into the lives of women in Iran. Darznik shares details of family life and the rituals surrounding the Muslim faith and living in Iran primarily during the 1950s and 1960s.
Central to most of the women’s lives seems to be food. Descriptions of food from the preparation of it to daily snacks to vast feasts served are prevalent in the book. The way Darznik writes one can almost smell the saffron infused cooking, feel the crack o More...
Central to most of the women’s lives seems to be food. Descriptions of food from the preparation of it to daily snacks to vast feasts served are prevalent in the book. The way Darznik writes one can almost smell the saffron infused cooking, feel the crack o More...
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Feb 15, 2011
Christine
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Although it is only February I would have to say this book has been my favorite read this year.
Jasmin came to California at an age too young to remember anything about her life in Iran. Raised by an Iranian mother and German father she considers herself to be an “American girl”. When her father dies she goes to help her mother sort through his belongings and happens upon a picture of her mother as a bride, but the man in the picture is not her father. When Jasmin questions her mot More...
Jasmin came to California at an age too young to remember anything about her life in Iran. Raised by an Iranian mother and German father she considers herself to be an “American girl”. When her father dies she goes to help her mother sort through his belongings and happens upon a picture of her mother as a bride, but the man in the picture is not her father. When Jasmin questions her mot More...
Feb 10, 2011
Azarin
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A simple look at the book-cover of The Good Daughter reveals that, unlike most of the other books in this genre, these memories don’t belong to the author but to her mother’s. This distance between the writer and the protagonist adds an element of fiction to the narration, which makes the book closer to a fictionalized memoir than a classic memoir which is only about the author's own memories, or at least this was my expectation.
Now that I’ve finished the book, I should congratulate Jasmi More...
Now that I’ve finished the book, I should congratulate Jasmi More...
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Sep 16, 2011
Sara
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I wish I'd liked this one more. It was interesting to learn about the lives of women in Iran over the past 50+ years, but I didn't love the author's style and ultimately wondered how she could remain so detached from the story herself, given that it was her own parents and grandparents she was writing about. The story is terribly sad, as Darznik recounts her grandmother and mother's lives of poverty, abuse, oppression, vulnerability and sacrifice. As an American woman (in all of my modern, im
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Dec 21, 2011
Cheri
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I read this book for the January book club at church. I can't for the life of me figure out why they chose it. I read the reviews of the book before I read it, and that may have been part of the let-down. I was preparing to be "inspired" and "enthralled." I ended up being "pissed off" and "aggravated." There is nothing inspiring about women who continue to endure abuse generation after generation for themselves and their children. I understand the cultural
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Feb 05, 2011
Marialyce
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I did become very interested in this topic of an Iranian mother and an American daughter. Although the story really should be entitled something like My Mother's Trials and Joys In Iran, as the book details a life of hardship and happiness in a culture that really has had such a tough time granting women any say or any power.
The book details Lili's (the mother) difficulties in her Iranian life. Forced into marriage at age thirteen to a sadistic man, she was beaten, kicked, and bitten More...
The book details Lili's (the mother) difficulties in her Iranian life. Forced into marriage at age thirteen to a sadistic man, she was beaten, kicked, and bitten More...
Jan 02, 2012
Kathryn
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The author grew up in California, the only daughter of an Irani mother and a German father, and as she grew up American rather than Irani, her mother would compare her with the Good Daughter back in Iran, who was a girl devoted to her mother and who would never dream of dating or wearing short skirts or rebelling against her mother’s authority. The author grew up and moved to New York; in her middle twenties her father died, and when she and her mother were sorting through boxes, the author foun
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May 15, 2011
Marianna
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Exceptionally well written. Gives a small glimpse into life in Iran (and really most of the Middle East) in the 40's, 50's and 60's. I believe that a careful reading will give Western minds much insight into the culture of that region. While life for women is different today, the cultural mores in place then continue to inform the culture today.
I have two complaints with this book however. One, there are no pictures. They would have done much to enhance the story. Two, the ending se More...
I have two complaints with this book however. One, there are no pictures. They would have done much to enhance the story. Two, the ending se More...
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May 05, 2011
Sarah Whitney
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At night she fell asleep wondering whether he would wake up angry or happy the next day. As soon as he left for work in the mornings, she would try to guess whether he would come home for lunch or stay away until dinnertime. What could she do to please him when he returned? Should she greet him with a smile, or should she avoid his eyes until he spoke to her? Should she comb her hair and put on a fresh dress for him? Would he be glad to see her looking pretty or would he accuse her of havi More...
Aug 02, 2011
Ronya
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Haven't read a memoir in a while, so this was a nice treat. Very interesting story about how the author "discovers" that her mother had a "secret" life before she met and married the author's father (and, really, even after). The story is relayed to Darznik through cassette tapes that her mother sends to her over a period of several months. Through her mother's own words, Darznik learns of the troubles and obstacles that her mother--married off at 13 and a mother by 14--en
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Mar 10, 2011
Melissa
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Following the sudden death of her father, Jasmin Darznik flew back home to San Francisco for the funeral, then stayed with her mother to help her sort through their belongings. Amidst an accumulation of letters and photographs, Darznik came across an old photograph of her mother, Lili, standing dolefully next to an older man. In shock, Darznik suddenly realized that she was holding a wedding photo, and that the man next her mother was not her father.
Darznik took the photograph but di More...
Darznik took the photograph but di More...
Feb 13, 2011
Lisa
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The Good Daughter has everything I love in a book. It's an intimate look into another culture, a woman's relationship with her mother, and her journey towards understanding and truth. It's an honest and beautifully told memoir of a modern American woman who is seeking to understand and appreciate her deep, deep roots. In writing The Good Daughter, Jasmin Darznik has succeeded eloquently on all accounts.
This story is so rich and layered, it's almost hard to believe that it's a memoi More...
This story is so rich and layered, it's almost hard to believe that it's a memoi More...
Jul 17, 2011
NancyG
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I'd likely give this 4 1/2 stars if that were an option but with the 1/2 star option, I'll go with 4. I learned a lot about Iranian women in the 50's, 60's and 70's in this nonfiction book told by a daughter of her mother's and grandmother's past in Iran. The writing is strong and the storyline, with a few exceptions, moves along. It brought back memories of my college years in the early 70's not really understanding watching Iranian students protesting the Shah with bags on their heads to hi
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Feb 21, 2011
Pat
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This book was a fast,ok read. It did offer a new perspective on the life of a female in the Shah's Iran and in America after evacuating during the revolution. The shouthearted way these women kept striving to make their lives and thier childrens lives better regardless of the circumstance is remarkable. While the insight was enlightening the charactors did not pull me in and really make me a part of them. After reading the book it does not draw you back to relive any part of the experiences of t
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Mar 09, 2011
Laurie
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There are so many good, new, nonfiction books out right now and this is one of them! I have to admit that I almost put this down inititally because it reminded me too much of "Thousand Splendid Suns"/"Kite Runner" style where a horrible disaster occurs to the poor protagonist at every page. But eventually the plot evens out a bit and the book is impossible to put down as you are rooting for the author's mother, Lili, as she makes a life for herself in pre-revolution Iran.
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Mar 07, 2011
Lora
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A beautiful memoir mostly of the author's mother and her life. A fascinating look into another culture that almost felt too intense to be nonfiction. Fantabulous! Found the idea that being biracial in Iran was a positive thing and that here in America it was mostly a negative thing fascinating. "When I was a child, shame was my first, true and native instinct. Nothing about me was right in America; nothing about me "fit" here. In Iran I'd been coddled and fussed over as a "
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Oct 23, 2011
Raina
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If you are not familiar with the recent history of Iran prior to reading this book you may find it a bit difficult to wrap my mind around all of the things that happened to the author's mother. This is an easy read in how it was written but it was very difficult to read having grown up how I did in the United States being extremely fortunate to have not had to deal with such things. This story is VERY powerful and truly transforms the simplicity of the writing. The author's mother, Lili, lead a
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Sep 12, 2011
Jenna
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Great book about several generations of Iranian women, written by the youngest one. It was fascinating to glimpse into the culture of these women, and how they held on to their traditions, fighting hard against the modernization of Westernization of their world. At times the story got a little too painful and I had to read ahead to make sure there was light somewhere in there. At the end everything tied together as the author comes to understand her mother better after hearing her life story. I
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Sep 04, 2011
Beth
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I really enjoyed this book. It is an interesting story about 4 women over 3 generations, 3 in Iran and 1 in the US and the trials of life. It really speaks to women who want to learn about another culture, as it talks about how arranged marriages work, how women are treated (some great, some not so), and the cultural norms of Persian society. Of course the political situation lays in the background and is woven into the story as it affects each of these women. Very well written and intriguing...
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Dec 30, 2011
Ann
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So far I am facinated with this book and the life that Lili is destined to. In many ways it reminds me of A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS. I find it difficult to put the book down, and I am facinated with the recent history of Iran.
The women in this family, Lili, Kobra, and all the grandmothers, aunties, mothers and daughters are such strong, resiliant, resourceful women. Perhaps living in a society where women are nobodies breeds this strength. I admire Jasmin for writing this book, and More...
The women in this family, Lili, Kobra, and all the grandmothers, aunties, mothers and daughters are such strong, resiliant, resourceful women. Perhaps living in a society where women are nobodies breeds this strength. I admire Jasmin for writing this book, and More...
Mar 18, 2011
Diane
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This is called a memoir but also seems to be an adult daughter's coming to terms with her past. The author knew nothing about her own history nor her mother's life in Iran until she saw a photograph of her mother as a young teen dressed as a bride. Her mother would not talk about it, but subsequently recorded her life story on tape which she sent to her daughter and which became this book.
I had a series of reactions while reading. This will sound harsh, but I have gotten tired of the More...
I had a series of reactions while reading. This will sound harsh, but I have gotten tired of the More...
Nov 19, 2011
Temple
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This was such a moving insight into the culture of Iran, and the treatment of women, as well as the family structure. To be married at thirteen as Lili did; to follow the spirit that was hers, and to walk the road of life along with her was quite a revelation. Through the author's words, you could feel Lili's pain in the loss of her daughter, and the triumph of gaining the schooling that had been so evasive for her. The culture is rigidly steeped in tradition, so even when Lili gained another "
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Sep 29, 2011
Ikdavid
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Non-fiction account of a young girl's life in Iran, her marriage at the age of 13, motherhood before she was 14, and her life thereafter. The writing pulled me into her story such that I read the book in two days. Good background about what it was like to be a female in Iran before and during the Shah's reign and afterward. It also tells of her life in the US as she moved here just in advance of the hostage situation. The book is written by her daughter and gives some perspective on what rela
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Mar 25, 2011
Lindsey
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This book was fantastic! (I would like to read a middle-eastern memoir that paints a positive picture of middle-eastern men--this one, as well as all the other middle-eastern memoirs I have read, does not.) I was completely appalled at the plight of all the women in the book. I felt like they were treated as property and slaves and the women just accepted the shit from their men and told themselves it was their ghesmet (destiny). One line from the book really spoke to me about how the Iraina
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Jan 17, 2012
Luin kirjastossa, kun sattumalta siellä näin. Luulin itse asiassa ensin toiseksi kirjaksi, jota olin selaillut aiemmin kirjakaupassa. Alku koukutti sen verran, että luin koko kirjan parissa tunnissa.
Vaikka kuinka tietää, ettei Iranissa naisilla ole arvoa (ainakaan samalla lailla kuin länsimaissa), yllättää, järkyttää ja shokeeraa se silti joka kerta. Ja se peri-inhimillinen kurjuuden kieltäminen nousee myös aina pintaan. "Ei tämä voi olla todellisuutta, ei missään voi käydä ihmisi More...
Vaikka kuinka tietää, ettei Iranissa naisilla ole arvoa (ainakaan samalla lailla kuin länsimaissa), yllättää, järkyttää ja shokeeraa se silti joka kerta. Ja se peri-inhimillinen kurjuuden kieltäminen nousee myös aina pintaan. "Ei tämä voi olla todellisuutta, ei missään voi käydä ihmisi More...
Apr 19, 2011
Jen
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I really enjoyed this book. I can't remember how I stumbled upon it, but once reading the summary, I was hooked. The book focuses on the life of the author's mother and grandmother. It is as much about life in Iran as it is about a woman's role in society, culture, food and mother and father-daughter relationships. In some ways it was a mystery as I turned the page wondering if the author would venture back to Iran and meet Sara. It was very well written and felt much more like fiction than non-
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May 06, 2011
Kalpana
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This is a poignant memoir of Lili, written by her daughter Jasmin. The book discusses how Lili kept reinventing herself as iniquities of life were hurled at her.The story of Lili unfolds when she sets out on a journey to explain their roots to Jasmin. Lili is such an amazing character,who underwent various hardships from an young age and she sailed through her tough times with fear, anger and determination. At 13, After a devastating relationship with her first husband Kazem and relinquishing th
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