Bøker av Parinoush Saniee

A teenager in pre-revolutionary Tehran, Massoumeh is an ordinary girl, passionate about learning. On her way to school she meets a local man and falls in love - but when her family discover his letters they accuse her of bringing them into dishonour. She is badly beaten by her brother, and her parents hastily arrange a marriage to a man she's never met. Facing a life without love, and the prospect of no education, Massoumeh is distraught - but a female neighbour urges her to comply: 'We each have a destiny, and you can't fight yours.'The years that follow Massoumeh's wedding prove transformative for Iran. Hamid, Massoumeh's husband, is a political dissident and a threat to the Shah's oppressive regime and when the secret service arrive to arrest him, it is the start of a terrifying period for Massoumeh. Her fate, so long dictated by family loyalty and tradition, is now tied to the changing fortunes of her country. Spanning five turbulent decades of Iranian history, from before the 1979 revolution, through the Islamic Republic and up to the present, The Book of Fate is a powerful story of friendship and passion, fear and hope - and a rare insider's view of Iranian society.

I denne romanen følger vi ungjenta Masoumeh og hennes familie gjennom fem tiår. Fra de flytter fra den religiøse byen Quom til den moderne hovedstaden Teheran på 1960-tallet, gjennom den islamske revolusjonen og den åtte år lange krigen mellom Iran og Irak i 1980-årene, og frem til livet under dagens strengt religiøse styresett.

Fra forfatteren av bestselgeren Det som ventet meg kommer nå fortellingen om en iransk storfamilie som etter mange års atskillelse møtes igjen et sted like utenfor Iran. Bestemoren, som nå er enke og syk, har ønsket å samle sine mange sønner og døtre og deres familier etter nesten tretti år. Men etter den første gjensynsgleden kommer oppdemmede konflikter til overflaten mellom de som til ulike tider og av forskjellige årsaker forlot Iran, og de som ble igjen.Sterke følelser preget av misunnelse, skuffelse, nag og mistro får utløp, før familiemedlemmene bestemmer seg for å snakke ut og gi sin versjon. Et sammensatt bilde av årsaker og virkninger brettes ut etter hvert som de enkelte forteller og forklarer. Livet har ikke vært enkelt for noen av dem, verken for de som dro i utlendighet til Vesten eller de som ble værende etter den islamske revolusjonen. Og aller minst for Dokhi, barnebarnet som fører dagbok og bærer på en vond og hemmelig fortid.De som dro og de som ble igjen er en klok og usminket beretning om mennesker som fanges i begivenhetenes vold og må se i øynene at livet ikke ble slik de hadde håpet og drømt om.

This is the story, based on fact, of a boy who couldn't speak until the age of seven. Now twenty, he describes the events of his life.Four-year-old Shahaab has not started talking. The family doctor believes there is no cause for concern; nevertheless, Shahaab is ridiculed by others who call him 'dumb'. Young Shahaab doesn't understand what the word means and thinks it is a compliment, until one day his cousin plays a trick on him to prove to everyone that the boy truly is the neighbourhood idiot.When his mother recounts the incident to her husband, Shahaab is crushed to learn that his father also thinks the boy's speech impediment indicates that his son is an idiot and thus brings shame on the family. Shahaab soon recognizes that his father's love and esteem is concentrated on his older brother, Arash, and his younger sister, Shadee. In his innocent and deeply hurt child's mind, he begins to believe that the 'good' and 'intelligent' children like his older brother are their fathers' sons. On the other hand, children like him who are 'clumsy' and 'problematic' are their mothers' sons. From that moment on, his world, which he thought was filled with beauty and kindness, suddenly turns harsh, full of anger and insult. He begins to lash out, taking childish revenge on those around him, encouraged by his two imaginary friends, Esi and Bibi.No one in the family can understand Shahaab's wild behaviour except his maternal grandmother, who seems to possess the understanding and the kindness he so desperately craves. Their growing bond leads to a deep friendship in which Shahaab is able to experience some happiness and finally find his voice.