Scan barcode
A review by mg_in_md_
Together Tea by Marjan Kamali
4.0
Will rate/review closer to February's book club meeting
Split into three parts, the story centers around the relationship between a mother (Darya) and daughter (Mina) living in New York in the 1990s and how each of them have adopted to living in a country they were not born in. Each woman faces struggles as they navigate living in their adopted homeland -- the family fled Iran following the Revolution and fall of the Shah and end up in NYC in 1982. When the book begins, Darya is intent on finding a suitable husband for her 25-year old daughter and attempts to use her mathematical skills to find an ideal catch. Mina is decidedly frustrated by and dead set against this matchmaking effort, and finds herself struggling to find her passion, which does not appear to be to continue on her current path in business school. When Mina decides she wants to go back to Iran for a visit, her mother not only supports her plan but decides to go with her, much to the chagrin of Mina's father. The story goes back in time to the family's life in Tehran in the late 1970s and moves up to the present when the women return to the country they left behind more than a decade prior. I found the portion of the story set in Iran most interesting (both before the family's departure for the US and during Darya's and Mina's visit in the 1990s) since it brought in an historical fiction aspect and also provided a glimpse into life in a country I know little about. Interpersonal relationships/dynamics factor heavily into the plot and bring a realistic dimension to the story. At first, the story seemed like it might be heading into chick-lit territory with the mother-daughter tension and Darya striking up a friendship with a man in an evening class on the wonderful world of spreadsheets. However, the trip to Iran and the journey back in time brought another layer to the plot and made for an enjoyable read.
Split into three parts, the story centers around the relationship between a mother (Darya) and daughter (Mina) living in New York in the 1990s and how each of them have adopted to living in a country they were not born in. Each woman faces struggles as they navigate living in their adopted homeland -- the family fled Iran following the Revolution and fall of the Shah and end up in NYC in 1982. When the book begins, Darya is intent on finding a suitable husband for her 25-year old daughter and attempts to use her mathematical skills to find an ideal catch. Mina is decidedly frustrated by and dead set against this matchmaking effort, and finds herself struggling to find her passion, which does not appear to be to continue on her current path in business school. When Mina decides she wants to go back to Iran for a visit, her mother not only supports her plan but decides to go with her, much to the chagrin of Mina's father. The story goes back in time to the family's life in Tehran in the late 1970s and moves up to the present when the women return to the country they left behind more than a decade prior. I found the portion of the story set in Iran most interesting (both before the family's departure for the US and during Darya's and Mina's visit in the 1990s) since it brought in an historical fiction aspect and also provided a glimpse into life in a country I know little about. Interpersonal relationships/dynamics factor heavily into the plot and bring a realistic dimension to the story. At first, the story seemed like it might be heading into chick-lit territory with the mother-daughter tension and Darya striking up a friendship with a man in an evening class on the wonderful world of spreadsheets. However, the trip to Iran and the journey back in time brought another layer to the plot and made for an enjoyable read.