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A review by paracosm
The Book of Fate by Parinoush Saniee
4.0
In this book we follow a woman named Massoumeh, she was raised in a conservative family, and lives through the Islamic Revolution in Iran and other conflicts that occurred in that country in the late twentieth century.
The thing I liked the most about the novel is how it showcases female strength. When contemporary media tries to portray "strong female characters" it usually leans towards an incredibly badass but hot warrior, that's not like other girls and hates anything related to domestic life. The author breaks this mold completely. Massoumeh is a mother, a housewife, and very religious, but her strength and bravery is still palpable. She goes through so much in her life, but is always willing to work hard, to keep going even when all the odds are against her, and is incredibly selfless.
My biggest problem with the book is its awful ending. It makes me so mad just to think about it. You see, at the end Massoumeh has a rencounter with her childhood sweetheart, a dude named Said. They fall in love and want to get married. But Massoumeh's children, a bunch of egotistical and selfish assholes, decide that they dont want to get married because she is too old, and having a stepfather would be embarrassing for them. So Massoumeh decides to listen to them, rejects the proposal, and resigns herself to live a life of solitude. That's such a bullshit ending and I hate it so much.
The thing I liked the most about the novel is how it showcases female strength. When contemporary media tries to portray "strong female characters" it usually leans towards an incredibly badass but hot warrior, that's not like other girls and hates anything related to domestic life. The author breaks this mold completely. Massoumeh is a mother, a housewife, and very religious, but her strength and bravery is still palpable. She goes through so much in her life, but is always willing to work hard, to keep going even when all the odds are against her, and is incredibly selfless.
My biggest problem with the book is its awful ending. It makes me so mad just to think about it. You see, at the end Massoumeh has a rencounter with her childhood sweetheart, a dude named Said. They fall in love and want to get married. But Massoumeh's children, a bunch of egotistical and selfish assholes, decide that they dont want to get married because she is too old, and having a stepfather would be embarrassing for them. So Massoumeh decides to listen to them, rejects the proposal, and resigns herself to live a life of solitude. That's such a bullshit ending and I hate it so much.