A review by littlemiao
The Girl from the Garden by Parnaz Foroutan

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Beautifully written. The timelines and points of view entangle with each other, seamless and disorienting at the same time. I felt almost immediately immersed in the claustrophobic world of the Malacouti family. The Persian Jewish setting is richly realized. The family drama itself is based on the author’s own family lore. This was a desperately sad story, full of unresolvable pain, personal tragedies compounded by a repressive patriarchal society. Something about the writing and the story has really stayed with me. Though I don’t seek out sad books, I’m seriously thinking of getting a copy for my own shelves.

Just a minor point of confusion, the mountain that Moses descends with the tablets is referred to as “the mountains of Zion.” I thought that was in Jerusalem.