Reviews

Together Tea by Marjan Kamali

lauraxbakker's review against another edition

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4.0

Parviz en Darya vluchten uit Iran met hun twee zonen en dochter Mina naar de Verenigde Staten. Vijftien jaar later heeft Darya haar droom om wiskundige te worden opgegeven en zet ze haar talent voor cijfers in om aan de hand van spreadsheets de perfecte Iraans-Amerikaanse echtgenoot te vinden voor de inmiddels vijfentwintigjarige Mina.

Dit botst met Mina haar verlangen. Maar wat verlangt zij eigenlijk? De Amerikaanse cultuur waarin zij leeft, of de Iraanse cultuur waar zij is geboren? Ze besluit terug te reizen naar Iran; en haar moeder besluit met haar mee te gaan.

Sneeuwvlokken in Teheran beschrijft de ervaringen rondom vluchten uit Iran en de wederopbouw van een leven in Amerika, vanuit twee vrouwelijke generaties. Dat van Mina en dat van Darya. Beide verhalen maakte het dan ook tot een geheel, het vult elkaar aan.
Iran en haar cultuur intrigeren mij, dus van mij had de reis van Mina en Darya naar Iran nog wel veel langer mogen duren!

bookbel's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

3.5

boldduck's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

barbaraskalberg's review

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3.0

3.5
The characters weren't fully developed, but they were all likeable, especially the affirmation spouting father.

kdurham2's review

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5.0

Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings

Mina is an Iranian-American who is trying to find her true self and what that may look like, can it have bits of both cultures that she has lived in? Parts of the story are told from her mother's perspective - Darya who spent many more years in Iran and misses her home and has a difficult time making America her true home. The push and pull with making a new place home and missing the former place really hit home with me.

lynda11's review

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medium-paced

3.5

gdonahue's review

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4.0

This book surprised me. I picked it up thinking it would be a light romance and a fun book to listen to during work commutes. What I didn't realize is both how much the characters would capture my interest and empathy, and also how closely the book's storyline revolves around some very heavy issues: freedom, feminism, the experiences of immigrants in the United States and those who emigrate when they go home, the relationships between first generation immigrants and their parents. The story is fun and enjoyable throughout, but also extremely touching and memorable. It reminded me a bit of Persepolis because of the section depicting shifts during the 1979 revolution in Iran, but explored emotionally many experiences that are distinct from those explored in Persepolis. I would definitely recommend this to someone looking for a fun, fictional story that also has a strong heart and beautifully written characters.

llamallama527's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful informative medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I loved this book. I loved learning about the Iranian and Iranian-American cultures. I learned a lot while also enjoying this work of fiction. 

manaledi's review

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3.0

3.5 I liked the later half much more than the first half. Good look at mother-daughter relationships set on a backdrop of the Iranian Revolution and immigrating to the U.S.

greenvillemelissa's review

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4.0

Book #51 Read in 2013
Together Tea by Marjan Kamali

Mina, her parents and her two brothers head to America from Iran during the Iran-Iraqi war. This book talks about Mina's assimilation to American life, how her mother is still trying to arrange a husband for her, and on the return visit that Mina and her mother take to Iran when Mina is in college.

This book does a nice job describing the difficulty of fitting in to a new country, and fitting in when visiting the old country. The characters are interesting and well-developed. There is humor and romance in this book and the writing style is nice--a flavor of chick lit, but more substance.

I enjoyed this book and recommend it.

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