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A review by rinnfoskey
In the Time of our History by Susanne Pari
challenging
emotional
reflective
4.0
I enjoy character driven books and so this worked for me, but an initial disclaimer if you are after something fast paced and plot driven this might not be for you.
An unfolding of relationships, reflection on the past, grief, migration and people's multi-faceted nature told through an Irani family in the 80s/90s.
Overall I found this book very compelling, if heavy.
<Spoiler> what I found more challenging was the revealing of Anahita's sexual abuse when she was younger was used as a device to prompt reflection and redemption in characters. I could understand Mitra telling her mum, and then Olga telling her the rest of the story but Mitra tells her father eventually from a place of revenge hoping it will hurt him. That he does seem to respond in a way of reflecting on his life and changing things seemed to easy. I would have thought the book more real, and less uncomfortable about anahita continuing to he used and manipulated to Mitra/her father's enda if this passage was left out. </Spoiler>
An unfolding of relationships, reflection on the past, grief, migration and people's multi-faceted nature told through an Irani family in the 80s/90s.
Overall I found this book very compelling, if heavy.
<Spoiler> what I found more challenging was the revealing of Anahita's sexual abuse when she was younger was used as a device to prompt reflection and redemption in characters. I could understand Mitra telling her mum, and then Olga telling her the rest of the story but Mitra tells her father eventually from a place of revenge hoping it will hurt him. That he does seem to respond in a way of reflecting on his life and changing things seemed to easy. I would have thought the book more real, and less uncomfortable about anahita continuing to he used and manipulated to Mitra/her father's enda if this passage was left out. </Spoiler>
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Abandonment, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Infidelity, and Infertility