Breathtaking and powerful, Song of a Captive Bird is an incredible piece of literature. The novel transports the reader to Iran in the 1940s and 1950s and offers a fictionalized account of the life of Forugh Farrokzhad, a woman who disregarded tradition and found her voice through poetry.

I had a difficult time putting the book down, falling asleep with it in my hands two nights in a row. As a person not well versed in Iranian history or literature/poetry, I found myself captivated by Darznik's portrayal of Forugh and felt transported in time. The narrative flows like prose, and the fictionalized telling of Forugh's life is paired with the political and cultural issues of the time. It is clear that Darznik has conducted countless hours of research, and I learned a lot about Iran during the time period.

I really enjoyed Darznik's style of writing and exposition: foreshadowing that constantly hooked me back in and wanting to see what would happen next. In my opinion this style of writing is difficult to execute and rarely works, but as a person without prior knowledge of the source material it kept me engaged.

Themes are of freedom, friendship, love, pursuing that which brings you joy, and not silencing yourself. This novel brings to life a woman who inspired the feminist movement in Iran, and I cannot recommend this book enough.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher, Ballantine Books, for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review. Review can be found on my blog: https://reader-voracious.blogspot.com/2018/03/book-review-rending-and-nest.html

When I requested this book, Song of a Captive Bird, by Jasmin Darznik, from NetGalley, I knew I'd be in for a reading adventure. I know nothing about Iranian poets, past or present, and not much about Iranian history or culture. Because this was about a poet from Iran, Forugh Farrokhzad, who was also a woman drew me to it--that and the title. The book read a bit like a movie, opening with a mysterious and violent scene that became clear as the story continued and the cultural traditions and expectations were explained.

As it takes place in the fifties and sixties, in a land very far away and different from my own, there was much to be discovered about the way people lived and thought about life in general, and about women, in particular. Forugh suffered at the hands of men--her father, her husband, her lovers, and a male-dominated publishing industry. Her suffering marked her, but her resilience and independent spirit shaped her into who she became. Again and again she defies cultural expectations and pioneers a path for herself and women after her with the words she writes, her work in film, and the way she lives. The poetry that is woven into the chapters is exquisite; I savored the lines and felt closer to the woman whose story was being told.

In addition to learning a bit about Iranian women struggling to become respected and independent during that time period, I learned something of the struggle for Iranians to own their oil and of the violent political turmoil of those days. To me, Forugh is a symbol of progress, of the artistic voice that speaks in every culture and time period, and of every woman working toward being respected and heard with equality.

Reading this book stirred up a desire to read Iranian poetry, of which I am unfamiliar. If you're like me and know little to nothing about Iranian history and culture, and particularly, Iranian poetry, then I recommend you read this story and start your own journey of discovery.

Forugh Farrokhzad was a poet in Tehran at a time when she should not have made it. She defied all the odds without the support of her family.
This was a incredible story we you will travel through her life.


** I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Jasmin Darznik’s latest book is a novel based on the life and work of Iranian poet Forugh Farrokhzad. Darznik’s first book, entitled The Good Daughter: A Memoir of My Mother’s Hidden Life, was a New York Times bestseller. With her current work, Darznik tries her hand at recreating the life of Iran’s most provocative poet and filmmaker, and succeeds brilliantly.
Forugh Farrokhzad has been called “Iran’s Sylvia Plath” and lived a fascinating and heartbreaking life. Born in Tehran in 1935, Farrokhzad created rebellious poetry and films that challenged embedded societal norms. She lived and died fighting for the freedom of women to live independently, to create fearlessly, and to love fully. Farrokhzad’s poetry was intimate and honest at a time when being a “poetess” was not considered a serious profession for a woman. Against the backdrop of a domineering father, an unhappy arranged marriage, and a violent and stifling culture, Farrokhzad pushed Iran’s fundamentalist patriarchy to the limit. And she paid for it...

Darznik has a poetic writing style herself; with Song of a Captive Bird, she provides readers accessible entry into Iranian literature and poetry, and specifically into the work of Forugh Farrokhzad. One needn’t be a lover of poetry to appreciate this thoughtful and passionate story.

Why is it that those who lead the most remarkable lives never seem to live very long? Kai! This book shook me to the core with its gripping plot weaving elements of fiction with the real-life story of Forough Farrokhzad who was a trailblazer for Iranian women in the arts. Not only did she publish poems which hinted at her sexual desires, but she dared to live her life independently which was unheard of in the 50s in Iran, hell, even now in modern Iran that would be frowned upon. Neverthless, Forough wrote poetry, had lovers, divorced and fought for justice with her filmmaking during a time when all of that was utterly scandalous for a woman to do. I don't know if Darznik channeled Forough during the writing of this novel, but it was hard to imagine that it was written by anyone other than Forough herself. I truly believe that the spirit of Forough came down and enveloped Darznik's entire being from beginning to end. A phenomenal read indeed.

I’d give this 3.5 stars. I found it well-written and informative about what life was like 50 years ago in Iran for women. She was treated very poorly and at times this was quite disturbing. Yet her life was also in many ways triumphant since she was able to live on her own and write poetry.

"Song of a Captive Bird" a Novel by Jasmin Darznik, was a beautiful tribute to an Iranian poet, who was unable to follow the submissive "norms" of her times, and gradually became a beacon in women's rights in Iran, paying a heavy price in personal consequences. The author painted a vivid image of the settings, as well as her circumstances, which took me through this unbelievable, yet true story. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the copy of this beautiful story, for my honest review.

"Song of a Captive Bird" is mesmerizing from the very start. It presents a fictionalized biography of Forugh Farrokhzad, an Iranian woman determined to live life on her own terms at a time when Iranian women lived under the thumb of their fathers or husbands. Following the courage of her convictions to write poetry about life and the world around her, Forugh ended up losing her husband and child. Despite all that, she accomplished much through her poetry, her films, and the people she met along the way, especially at a time when Iran was undergoing so much political and religious upheaval.

A fascinating portrayal of an extraordinary woman’s life with all its ups and downs. Well-worth reading!

The story of this book is based on the life of the Irani poet Forugh Farrokhzad.
Since poetry is not a genre I have any knowledge nor is Iran history I have no idea who this person was.
My main problem is that the story didn't add any information I found in Wikipedia about this poet, so if you what recreate her life you may find this read interesting but the facts are not necessarily truthful.

This was not the easiest book to read, but I am glad I did. At times moving, at times tragic, it tells a story of love in a time of unrest and in the face of social strictures and a complicated bid to find identity. It's written beautifully, but at times the descriptions made it a little slow. The character of Forugh is well developed and I was invested in her fate. I would definitely read more by this author!

Beautifully written! A powerful story of overcoming adversity and prejudices. The words capture life in Iran during a challenging time in history.

I expected to learn about a time and culture far away from my own, but I never thought I'd be so thoroughly seduced by Jasmin Darznik's debut novel, Song of a Captive Bird. It is a fictionalized account of Forugh Farrokhzhad, the first woman in Iran to defy her country's cultural bias and discriminatory practices against women writers. She refused the diminishing label "poetess", did not use a male pseudonym, and wrote on forbidden subjects such as women's sexuality. Darznik portrays Forugh, born in 1935, from her childhood to her death at 32, showing that even in such a short time she lived through experiences far beyond her years.
As one of seven children, with a brutal, military father, she knew at a young age
A good Iranian daughter should be pious, modest, and tidy; I was impulsive, argumentative, and messy. I thought of myself as no less than my brothers, with wit and daring to match theirs. Loc 419
This self-knowledge, coupled with a love of words and books, means she chafes against the restrictions on education and the isolation imposed on women. She sneaks into her father's vast library to read books on every subject, but especially the poems of Persia's greats-Rumi, Hafez, and Khayyam. She has no interest in the life of domesticity expected of her, like the one her mother lives, separated from men and removed from the outside world
It was a house that turned from the world and cast its gaze inward, a house whose women believed the very walls listened for sin, a house where we whispered the truth or didn't speak it at all. Loc 173
Until, at sixteen, she falls in love with an older, educated boy and foolishly spends time with him unchaperoned. This means they must marry and what seemed to be love turns into resentment as she finds herself living in a small village, away from her family, and, soon, pregnant. In the moments she has alone she continues to write her poetry. Her need to be heard is so great she rushes headlong into choices made by her heart, not her head: lying to her husband, going back to Tehran, having an affair. She is published, but her first poem is then used against her, leading to divorce and the loss of her child. Finally, when her poems and actions become public enough to shame her father, she is locked up in a clinic for the insane, where they literally try and erase her thoughts from her mind. Still, she finds a way to words until a wealthy, highly-connected friend buys her freedom.
These extraordinary experiences are just a portion of Forugh's life in Song of a Captive Bird. She achieves even more artistically, but always against a backdrop of media and government vitriol for violating Iran's religious norms. A country that, in Forugh's lifetime, was moving to center stage in the world because of its oil, but did not welcome outside influences into its culture.
Our traditions were our pacifiers, and we put ourselves to sleep with the lullaby of a once-great civilization and culture.
In 1963, the Ayatollah Khomeini made his first appearance and violence against secularism became the norm
Every death was telling some part of our story, which was Iran's story, but no one could tell how the story would end. We were driven by forces we didn't understand, moving towards a destination we couldn't see. Loc 4293
Darznik beautifully captures Forugh's inner self juxtaposed against the outer landscape of Iran. She does this with such intimacy that the novel reads like a journal, with prose that is lyrical and soulful. It is a two-for-one win for readers-Darznik's words are interspersed with Forugh's poems and both mesmerize. They release a multitude of emotions, sending them soaring with a freedom that penetrates heart and mind. And while her life was cut short, Song of a Captive Bird lives as an ode to the power of one woman who would not stay silent.

This was such a beautiful and engaging book. The writing was excellent. Darznik fittingly tells Farrokhzad’s story with the beauty and lyricism deserving of the poet. It isn’t too often that a novelist is able to transport the reader to a place and time so well. I highly recommend this book. Readers will come away with a better understanding of Iran and it’s beloved muse.

If you like memoirs I think you will really like Song of a Captive Bird by Jasmin Darznik. This is the story of Iranian feminist poet Forugh Farrokhzhad. Though the character of Forugh is based on an actual woman who lived in Iran from about 1935-1967, the novel is fiction. We learn about Forugh, who she is, how she came to be a poet and also a filmmaker during a time and place when women had no rights or privileges. During the lifetime of Forugh women had very limited rights. They didn’t receive much of an education and could rarely leave their homes. They went from being the property of their father to that of their husbands. Throughout the story we learn of Forugh’s successes and her sacrifices and disappointments. We follow her life from the time she is a child until her death and with the first person narrative we get a glimpse into how she felt.

I really enjoyed learning more about Iran and I loved the way Darznik describes Iran. I could often picture the vastness of gray and brown and the occasional turquoise domes of a mosque. I loved learning more about the culture of Iran and came to a better understanding of its history. I think the setting was what I enjoyed the most.

Song of a Captive Bird is told in first person narrative and I felt it read like a memoir. I think a lot of people will really like that writing style. I often have trouble with memoirs. I feel like the author often tries to justify the choices they make or try to get me to agree. I got frustrated during this book because I felt that Forugh was often justifying the choices she made. While I admire Forugh for the things she was able to accomplish in her life and for her desire for women to be treated as human beings and while I could understand and sympathize with some of the horrible things she might have gone through, I did not like Forugh. I felt she was selfish, self-centered and didn’t seem capable or even willing to look at how other people felt. I felt she was more concerned with how she felt then how others might feel or how her actions effect not only her but also others.

I thought a really interesting part of the novel was the author, Darznik, included Forugh’s actual poems throughout the book. I did love reading her poems and reading of possible scenarios as to how the ideas for the poem came to be.

I think if you are someone who does enjoy memoirs you will really like Song of a Captive Bird. It isn’t often we read of women in Iran.

My copy of Song of a Captive Bird was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!

5 brilliant masterpiece stars to Song of a Captive Bird! 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

The author of Song of a Captive Bird, Jasmin Darznik, is an Iranian-American whose family fled Iran prior to the revolution. Darznik is now a literature professor and spent years researching Forugh’s life. Everything about this book is immaculate. The smooth writing, the on point characterization, the research; it’s all top shelf. Iran in the 1950s and 60s came to life for me; gorgeous settings, interesting culture, and captivating people.

Forugh’s story, her life, left an indelible mark on me. Starting with her childhood, we learn that Forugh was expected to be quiet and modest; however, she questioned authority, social mores, the status of women, the roles of women, all starting at a young age. Each time she embraced a challenge head-on, she was pushed back, pushed down, even held captive; but every single time, she rose again.

In my lifetime, I’m not sure I’ve heard of a female poet being less than and referred to as a poetess? That was the life and time that Forugh lived in. Her biggest wish was to be referred to simply as a “poet.” Forugh was creative, resilient, vibrant, and vital in pushing forward women’s rights and human rights in her country. Song of a Captive Bird is the perfect title for this book in multiple ways. Oh what an alluring voice Forugh had to share with the world!

Historical fiction fans, Song of a Captive Bird gets my highest recommendation!

Thank you to Jazmin Darznik, the most generous Random House/Ballantine, and Netgalley for the complimentary copy.

Beautifully written, Song of a Captive Bird, will capture your heart. If you love reading and books you should read this book. It tells of an Iranian girl inspired by an Iranian poet.

Lovely. This fictionalization of the life of Forugh Forrokzad is as much about Iran in the years of the Shah as it is about the poet. I was not familiar with her work, which I had since sought out and if this book motivates other to do so as well then even better, Things were no easier for Iranian women in this era than it is today but Forugh seems to have tested every barrier. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this illuminating novel. Perfect for fans of historical fiction and or tales of real women we don't generally read about. Two thumbs up!

Song of a Captive Bird by Jasmin Darznik

I received this advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Song of the Captive Bird is based on the life of Forugh Farrokhzad, an Iranian poet, “a woman who battled to create a life on her own terms, to balance conflicting roles and desires, and to survive in an often-hostile world” (from the author ‘s note at the end of the novel).
When Forugh is 15 years old, she meets her cousin, Parviz for coffee at a restaurant defying her strict father. When she is found out, she is taken to a sleezy area of Tehran for a virginity test. This horrific incident sets the tone of the novel, the culture of 1950’s Iran where women are ruled first by their fathers, then by their husbands, they are not educated beyond 9th grade. Forugh is a rebel from the day she was born, often running away as a child, later flirting with Parviz, her cousin. She is one of seven children with a strict mother and a father whom she is told to call the Colonel. She is forced into a loveless marriage with Parviz, moves far from home with him and lives in a very hostile environment where her mother in law finds wrong with everything she does. Forugh starts writing poems and often escapes to Tehran trying to publish some of her poems. She becomes a mother, but her quest for freedom and expression is even stronger than her maternal instincts and when she is given an ultimatum by Parviz, she chooses freedom of expression over traditional Iranian married life. After the scandalous poems Sin she is taken to a mental institution against her will where she is drugged into oblivion. Leila, a close friend rescues her from there and invites her to live with her and to get her life back. She continues to write and eventually gets a job at a film studio where she advances to be a director of documentary films and carries on a long term affair with Darius, a married man.
In addition to Forugh’s personal life, the author describes pre-revolution Iran, student uprisings, kidnappings of enemies of the state and even murder.
I learned a lot about Iran, it’s culture, it’s treatment of women in the 1950’s and early 1960’s. This was a well written book, kept my attention throughout and my empathy for Forugh. After finishing the book, I researched the poet and found that the book painted an accurate picture of her life and as the author explained at the end, she fills in some gaps with fiction, where facts were not available.
Overall, I give this novel 5 stars and will be recommending it to my Book Club and will offer to lead the discussion. I will also seek out the author’s first novel, The Good Daughter.
Thanks NetGalley, Random House Publishing and the author Jasmin Darznik for the advanced copy.

*An advanced reader ebook copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I really enjoyed this book. I love that bits of Forugh Farrokzhad poems are peppered throughout the book to mark important points and changes in her life. It was a small taste of her work but I was blown away by the raw authenticity of her words that connected with me. After reading this novel I'm extremely interested in her reading translations of her work.

Reminiscent of many trailblazing women, Forugh's life and poetry rebelled against the societal conventions that sought to silence her feminine voice and constrain her freedom. She wrote, published, filmed, and lived on her own at a time and place that forbid such behavior from women.

Moreover, I’m amazed at the voice in this book! It’s written like a memoir & I had to remind myself throughout that it’s a novel. But it felt so authentic to me and my heart broke for her and soared at her success. In the author's note, Darznik says that she immersed herself in Forugh's voice and writing and I think it comes across well in this book. There's an immediacy and unapologetic rhythm to the writing as well as empathy and tenderness. I admit that moments in this book cut me open and I cried knowing that this was a real woman.

Summary:

A spellbinding debut novel about the trailblazing poet Forugh Farrokhzhad, who defied Iranian society to find her voice and her destiny.

-Goodreads.

Forugh  was reminded always what Iranian daughters should be: quiet, modest, domestic.  They should always obey their fathers and, later, husbands.  It isn't that she doesn't want to be good.... but she always finds ways to rebel.  She wants freedom- like she sees her brothers having.  Her writing is her only freedom, her only escape. When her marriage, arranged by her father for her, becomes too much, she runs off and has an affair that brings her back to her writing and gets her published... and notoriety.  A story of her loss, her pain, anger, love and triumphs; this is a in depth look into what her life might have been like using her writing and what is known of her life as guides.

My thoughts:

I loved and hated this book at times.  The first chapter grabbed my attention, throwing me into the Iran of Forugh's youth.  After that, it petered and meandered through her early life.  While it was interesting, it wasn't exactly attention grabbing, at least not for me.  That section took a while to get through.

Half way though the book I had a better picture of Forugh and her sister, and of their home life and the restrictions on them as girls.  I felt for Forugh, even when she did foolish things.  The differences between sisters intrigued me.  The way the author described both her love of Kami and the struggles she had caring for him cut me.  Her pain tore at me.  I loved watching her relationship with Leila and the way she grew throughout the book.  It made me interested in learning more about Farrokhzhad's work and I bought Another Birth, the only compilation of her poems I could find in eBook.   This book will make you smile sometimes.  More often, it will make you cry, rail at societies that keep their daughters down, and (hopefully) think.  For me, this is a four star book, with an extra one for creativity.   

On the adult content scale, there's violence, language and sexual content.   This book is definitely geared toward an adult audience.  I give it an eight.  

I was lucky enough to receive and eARC of this book from Netgalley and Ballentine Books in exchange for an honest review.  My thanks.