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A review by thebookishfeminist
A Door Between Us by Ehsaneh Sadr
5.0
A DOOR BETWEEN US is a stunning novel about finding love, navigating hardships, seeing commonality when you disagree about deeply important things, and turmoil in our communities. One of the reasons I was so drawn to ADBU was that I don't think I've read nearly enough books set in or about Iran and featuring Iranian people and voices. Ehsaneh Sadr did a remarkable job telling the story of Sarah, Ali, and their families. Sarah and Ali are newly married as the 2009 Green Wave elections in Iran take place, and their wedding, subsequent actions, and new perspectives trigger a chain of events that has the potential to be revolutionary - and dangerous.
I was captivated truly every page of this book. Sadr's voice comes through clearly, but the characters and their experiences and inner voices flow seamlessly; I was never once abruptly taken out of the novel because something didn't fit quite right or seem natural. I also really appreciated, and do in general, that, although there is some level of trauma and deep injustices happening in Iran and to its people, there is also a levity and humor included in ADBU. That's how we really operate as humans who live in community, so I think it's always such an honest and even more raw and vulnerable - and strong - way of portraying characters to portray ALL of them, not just the sides that are too precious for humor or any levity. Alongside that levity, though, is some much-needed education for the reader on the realities of politics in that era; I remember some of the headlines vividly, but I know I didn't dive deeply enough into the context back then. I'm grateful to Sadr for providing me with a jumping-off point to learn more about it now.
One really important facet of this book is the language. There are Farsi words scattered throughout the novel, and it sounds like a native speaker would. This is a really impactful tool in centering the Iranian person's experience and perspectives, and it worked beautifully. I also found the family chart at the beginning very helpful; it would be a lot easier to flip back and forth to in a physical copy, but that's certainly not anyone's fault!
Overall, this is a sweeping debut novel about equality, whose voices get heard, what makes a person family, and all of the things that bind us despite our differences. I can't recommend A DOOR BETWEEN US highly enough! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advance copy. It was a delight!
I was captivated truly every page of this book. Sadr's voice comes through clearly, but the characters and their experiences and inner voices flow seamlessly; I was never once abruptly taken out of the novel because something didn't fit quite right or seem natural. I also really appreciated, and do in general, that, although there is some level of trauma and deep injustices happening in Iran and to its people, there is also a levity and humor included in ADBU. That's how we really operate as humans who live in community, so I think it's always such an honest and even more raw and vulnerable - and strong - way of portraying characters to portray ALL of them, not just the sides that are too precious for humor or any levity. Alongside that levity, though, is some much-needed education for the reader on the realities of politics in that era; I remember some of the headlines vividly, but I know I didn't dive deeply enough into the context back then. I'm grateful to Sadr for providing me with a jumping-off point to learn more about it now.
One really important facet of this book is the language. There are Farsi words scattered throughout the novel, and it sounds like a native speaker would. This is a really impactful tool in centering the Iranian person's experience and perspectives, and it worked beautifully. I also found the family chart at the beginning very helpful; it would be a lot easier to flip back and forth to in a physical copy, but that's certainly not anyone's fault!
Overall, this is a sweeping debut novel about equality, whose voices get heard, what makes a person family, and all of the things that bind us despite our differences. I can't recommend A DOOR BETWEEN US highly enough! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advance copy. It was a delight!