Title: Veil of Roses
Author: Laura Fitgerald
Copyright: December 26, 2006
Genre: fiction
Format: paperback
Synopsis (from publisher):
This compelling debut follows one spirited young woman from the confines of Iran to the intoxicating freedom of America—where she discovers not only an enticing new country but the roots of her own independence. . . .
Tamila Soroush wanted it all. But in the Islamic Republic of Iran, dreams are a dangerous thing for a girl. Knowing they can never come true, Tami abandons them. . . . Until her twenty-fifth birthday, when her parents give her a one-way ticket to America, hoping she will “go and wake up her luck.” If they have their way, Tami will never return to Iran . . . which means she has three months to find a husband in America. Three months before she’s sent back for good.
From her first Victoria’s Secret bra to her first ride on a motor scooter to her first country line-dance, Tami drinks in the freedom of an American girl. Inspired to pursue her passion for photography, she even captures her adventures on film. But looming over her is the fact that she must find an Iranian-born husband before her visa expires. To complicate matters, her friendship with Ike, a young American man, has grown stronger. And it is becoming harder for Tami to ignore the forbidden feelings she has for him.
It’s in her English as a second language classes that Tami finds a support system. With the encouragement of headstrong Eva, loyal Nadia, and Agata and Josef, who are carving out a love story of their own, perhaps Tami can keep dreaming—and find a way to stay in America.
My Review:
Ok, so I am a sucker for pretty shoes and a book cover with shoes and the pretty colors caught my eye when I was at my local library with my boys. So I picked up this book and then read the back of the book. I never read anything by this author and I also haven’t read much about Iran. So I checked it out. I didn’t look it up online on my phone to see reviews, I just took it out on impulse.
I got home and I read some pretty mean reviews. Some people were critical about the author who is non-Iranian, writing about an aspect of Iranian women’s experience. I understand, being a minority myself, I find that I am more critical of people writing about the African American experience. But I didn’t let this detour me because I knew this is one aspect and one perspective, it is not the whole and I think that is the best way to approach such writings.
I enjoyed the book. It was about a girl who’s family was forced to stay in Iran and the oldest daughter immigrated back to the US. The family made it possible for Tami to travel to the US to stay with her sister to find a husband so she could stay in the US. Some of the cultural blunders included (like the Starbucks incident) in the book were fun to read and it was fun to read the many characters along Tami’s journey.
I found myself routing for a certain outcome while reading the book so it kept me reading. I also tried reading the book without judgement of the Iranian ways. I knew this book was a work of fiction and received it in that way.
I gave this book 3 butterflies:
