"The Stationery Shop" by Marjan Kamali is a touching novel that spans over 60 years, capturing the essence of young love, heartbreak, and romance amidst the backdrop of political turmoil in Iran and the United States. The story revolves around Roya, a teenager in Tehran who falls in love with Bahman amidst the upheaval of the 1950s, only to be separated and reunited six decades later. Through detailed characters and a slower-paced narrative, the book delves into themes of cultural expectations, identity, and the complexities of relationships, offering a compelling exploration of love, loss, and the impact of political conflict on personal lives.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
The book contains themes of political violence, loss, and mental illness, which may be sensitive for some readers.
Has Romance?
The novel features a significant romantic element, with the central plot revolving around the love story of Roya and Bahman.
From The Publisher:
A poignant, heartfelt new novel by the award-nominated author of Together Tea-extolled by the Wall Street Journal as a "moving tale of lost love" and by Shelf Awareness as "a powerful, heartbreaking story"-explores loss, reconciliation, and the quirks of fate.
Roya, a dreamy, idealistic teenager living amid the political upheaval of 1953 Tehran, finds a literary oasis in kindly Mr. Fakhri's neighborhood stationery shop, stocked with books and pens and bottles of jewel-colored ink.
Then Mr. Fakhri, with a keen instinct for a budding romance, introduces Roya to his other favorite customer-handsome Bahman, who has a burning passion for justice and a love for Rumi's poetry-and she loses her heart at once. Their romance blossoms, and the little stationery shop remains their favorite place in all of Tehran.
A few short months later, on the eve of their marriage, Roya agrees to meet Bahman at the town square when violence erupts-a result of the coup d'etat that forever changes their country's future. In the chaos, Bahman never shows. For weeks, Roya tries desperately to contact him, but her efforts are fruitless. With a sorrowful heart, she moves on-to college in California, to another man, to a life in New England-until, more than sixty years later, an accident of fate leads her back to Bahman and offers her a chance to ask him the questions that have haunted her for more than half a century: Why did you leave? Where did you go? How is it that you were able to forget me?
Ratings (15)
Incredible (4) | |
Loved It (7) | |
Liked It (1) | |
It Was OK (2) | |
Hated It (1) |
Reader Stats (38):
Read It (15) | |
Want To Read (21) | |
Not Interested (2) |
1 comment(s)
This is so much more then just a love story and the pain of losing each other. It's so beautiful told and I feelt very invested in the story, couldn't put it down. The way she writes and the sorrow slipping out the page is truly something else. Definitely worth a read!
What can you read after
The Stationery Shop?
About the Author:
Marjan Kamali, born in Turkey to Iranian parents, spent her childhood in Kenya, Germany, Turkey, Iran, and the United States. She holds degrees from UC Berkeley, Columbia University, and New York University. Her work has also been broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and published in two anthologies: Tremors and Let Me Tell You Where I've Been. An excerpt from The Stationery Shop was published in Solstice Literary Magazine and nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Her debut novel Together Tea was a Massachusetts Book Award Finalist, an NPR WBUR Good Read, and a Target Emerging Author Selection. Marjan lives with her husband and two children in the Boston area.
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