A review by serendipitysbooks
The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree by Shokoofeh Azar

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

 The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree is a unique look at the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution. It was a special read, but also a challenging read - at least for me. The story follows a fairly ordinary family of five and is narrated by the ghost of 13 year old Bahar who dies when revolutionaries set fire to her family home in Tehran. The remaining family members then move to the isolated small village of Rezan in an effort to avoid the worst of the revolutionary excesses, but eventually the revolution and the subsequent Iran-Iraq war make their way to the village. There is obviously plenty of dark and hard subject matter in this book but there is also a lot of beauty including a love of literature and the arts which the family nurtures and is nurtured by, the love between family members and the wider Razan community, Azar’s gorgeous prose, and the rich Persian and Arabic folklore and mythology which is intricately woven into the novel. This folklore lends a strong element of fantasy, some would say magical realism, to the novel, giving it an ethereal quality which I struggled with a little. That’s totally down to me as a reader. But I also loved this element of the book. It added real richness and depth to the story. Highlighting the cultural beauty which was lost exacerbated the impact of the oppression and brutality. Unique and impactful. 
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