dashwoodj 's review for:

Together Tea by Marjan Kamali

5.0

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I LOVED this very understated book about family, mothers and daughters, Iranian culture, and mostly love. I really liked the format of the book which is setup in 3 sections. In the first section you meet Mina and her mother Darya. Darya is working on arranging a marriage for Mina while also trying to figure out a way to broaden her own life. You learn that Mina and her family had escaped from Iran during the revolution. The second section goes into the past and gives the reader a glimpse of pre-revolution Iran, and the first year of the revolution itself. It also describes their escape to America. The third section describes what happens when Mina and Darya go back to Iran after 15 yrs. and then come back home to America. The interplay between the time periods works very well. The characters are so rich and full. It's easy to understand all the viewpoints that are expressed. And, mostly it is a book about love both romantic and familial. All in all a very satisfying read. Can't recommend it highly enough.