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

5.0

It is a modern masterpiece, pulling it's inspiration from the rich Persian history, Zoroastrian religion, folk tales, modern day Iran and G.G.Marques magic realism. We follow story of the family of intellectuals, deeply involved into mystical world of ghosts, demons and jinns from folk tales, who's life is turn upside down by 1979 revolution and utter destruction of the life they used to live, love and enjoy. It is a story of a country downfall, where intellectuals had to flee the country, hide or be imprisoned, while the ones who nevere understood the power of books and knowledge rise to the power. Shokoofeh Azar is probably one of the best modern day Iranian writers and together with Azar Nafisi a beacon of modern day female Iranian prose, with the writing so strong and emotional that you can literally feel the pain and nostalgia protruding through the each line in the book.