Told in the first person, one would think they were reading a memoir. Facts mix with Fiction to flesh out the story and the life of Forugh Farrokhzad. A woman born in Iran in the 1930's and dying much too young at the age of 32. She was an Iranian poet and film director at a time when women were most definitely not doing those types of things.

Her poetry was controversial and pointed out the injustices and inequality women suffered. She was a true feminist. But the things she wanted cost her dearly. Her only son, prison, and even a mental institution. But none of that stopped her from publishing her poetry and fighting to be her own person.

Her writing was banned for over 10 years after the Islamic Revolution. There have been a few documentaries of her life.

The author, who fled to America from Iran with her family when she was five, has a voice of authenticity which gives the book the feel of a memoir.

This is one of the most painful and beautiful books I have ever had the pleasure to read.

Well Done!

Netgalley/Ballentine/Random House   February 13, 2018

This is a unique book, set in the beauty of pre-revolutionary Iran, that explores the life of famous poet and movie director, Forugh Farrokhzhad. Always the rebellious daughter, the story begins with Forugh's forbidden teenage crush, giving the reader the first insight into the role of women in mid 20th century Iran, before the advent of Sharia law, during the time of the Shahs, the outpouring of literature and film, yet still a time when women were subjugated and forced into a box created by society's sexist rules. This book takes us back to a time when a young girl, found with her crush, is forced to marry him, a time when wearing modern clothes is a statement on your sexual proclivities, and a time when a woman choosing a career outside motherhood will get her talked about in the press. Forugh chooses a life few women would in Iran in the 1950's and 60's, leading to abandonment of her child, time in a mental institution, and torrid love affairs with questionable men. The description of Iran is breathtakingly, achingly beautiful, describing a country love ago stolen by religious zealots and hidden behind a government-run press. My one complain was the shallowness of Forugh's character; I never quite got the true sense of who she was and what drove her, but perhaps that was the author's point. This was a woman who stepped out from the metaphorical harem walls, to live a life without boundaries.

I think I have just met my favorite book. I read most of this in a single day until I remembered that I have my own life and had to part with it. Now that I have finished, I’m wondering if anything I read next will begin to compare. This is the story of the life and poetry of Forough Farrokhzad, an Iranian woman during the 1950’s to 1960’s. She was the first female Iranian poet who spoke out and inspired Iranian women not only from her time period but for generations of women to follow. She was a very controversial woman of her time who shared her own life in her work. I learned so much about Iranian culture and the oppression of Iranian women during this time period. I am truly grateful to Netgalley for allowing me an advanced copy for review. Thank you to the author for sharing her own inspirations about writing this wonderful book and the research into Forough’s life.

Song of a Captive Bird is a fictional depiction of the life of Iranian poet and film director, Forough Farrokhzad. She was known for writing poems in a simple, modern style from a woman’s perspective. The novel tells not only the story of her life but it also paints a picture of what life was like for women in Iran during this time period, between 1935 and 1967.

Miss Farrokhzad was a woman too modern for her time and her country and she led a controversial life. She was divorced and had her son taken away from her by her ex-husband. She was committed to a mental institution because she expressed passion and lust in her poems and also because she desired the same freedoms as men. Passion and lust were something women were not allowed to feel, to speak, or even think. Women had no control over their fates. It seemed that they were confined to the house when they were little girls. They were told who to marry. The mother arranged the marriage but it was the father that had the final say. Their husbands could divorce them and cast them out for any reason they deemed appropriate. They could take another wife if it suited them.

I had never heard of Forough Farrokhzad prior to reading this novel but I found her story and the Iranian culture very interesting. It’s remarkable that she was able to live the life she did and unfortunate that she came to such an early demise. She was only 32 when she died in a car crash.

I would highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in the life of this poet, or not. There is much, much more to this novel. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the author’s eloquent yet poetic writing style suits it perfectly. I thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Song of a Captive Bird is a beautiful book that tells the life of Forugh Farrokhzad, an Iranian poet who lived from 1934-1967.

Jasmin Darznik researched this book so thoroughly, from all of the major events in Forugh's life to her poetry and her work as a filmmaker, and this is really well written into a novel that doesn't just tell you what happened; it shows you how it felt to be an Iranian woman in the 1940s, trying to become a poet and trying to speak her own voice against all odds.

Forugh's life was incredible, although she lived a short 32 years, she influenced a whole generation in Iran. She pushed forward women's issues, she put her own life on the line as she stood her ground for what she believed to be right. She did not depend on her father or her husband to pursue her dreams. Her life was hard, very little of it seemed to be truly happy, but she left behind a legacy that will never be forgotten. And now, thanks to Jasmin Darznik, more people will know about Forugh and so she will continue to inspire even more people all around the world.

I'm adding all of Forugh's poetry to my TBR as well as Darznik's other novel.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballatine Books and Jasmin Darznik for this book about Forugh Farrokhzad, a poetress from Iran who died because of her beliefs and not wanting to keep silent as required. Forough was a very brave young girl who turned into an admired woman by some, but at times I have to admit, I didn't think her decisions were always wise. This book is part biography, and part fiction and I needed to remind myself of that. At a young age she was rebellious and very outspoken which was unheard of in Iran. Some admired her, but others did not and because of her outspokenness, she lost her son and later on she also lost her life at the age of 32.

This is a remarkable lovely story of a young Iranian woman who becomes a truly great poet during the same time period when Sylvia Plath was writing in England. It is beautifully written, compelling and really says so much about the pre revolutionary life in Iran under the Shah.

I haven’t previously read much about this time period in Iran and unfortunately had never heard of Forugh Farrokhzad but I would urge you to read some of her haunting poems and discover her for yourself. She was from the wealthy upper strata of society but one that was ruled over by her father. She began writing her brilliant poetry as a young woman but dared to publish it under her own name. Definitely a rebellious child for the times, she began writing at a very young age and developed a style all her own. Forced to marry at 16 because of her failing to conform to the extremely conservative societal rules, she thought she had chosen a man as sensitive as she herself was. He also became a poet, as did her younger sister, but this was truly a loveless marriage that ended in not just divorce but the loss of custody of her son and her return to her family home in Iran. She continued to write and publish her poetry under her own name but also became an early filmmaker.

Though she lived a tragically short life, she really established a place for herself as a poet. The parallels to Sylvia Plath are quite significant except for the serious mental issue that plagued Plath. This woman realized early on that her brothers and men were treated far differently and rebelled against the rigidity of her world in Iran from a very early age. She was not afraid to flaunt many rules and to allow scandal to follow her. I ordered several of her books of poetry while I was reading this story and her work was very special especially since she has been dead for over 50 years. She wrote with passion, love, sensitivity and truth in a world that was possibly not quite ready for such liberal ideas. How tragic that she died so young.

This is a fascinating and well researched book about the Iranian poet Forugh Forrokzad. She wrote primarily in the 1950’s and 1960’s, and was a pivotal part of the feminist movement in Iran at that time.

I loved learning about this amazing historical figure who I had not even heard of before and getting a sense of what life was like for a woman in Iran at the time. Forrokzad was a formidable woman who refused to conform to the norms of society, and who followed her own path, doing what she thought was right for herself.

As you can imagine, Forrokzad had huge hurtles to overcome and backlash to contend with. However, these things did not deter her from forging ahead with her poetry and politics, even at great personal cost.

Darzink has done an impressive job researching Forrokzad, going so far as to translate her poetry herself into English. The story is fictionalized, but is still compelling. I did feel that the storytelling could have been more personal and a little less “telling” what went on. Still, I was caught up in the story and in Forrokzad, anxious to turn the pages to see how her life would unfold. Darzink has done an impressive job of bringing an interesting and turbulent time in history to life and of introducing a formidable poet to many of us who may never heard of her before.

(Thank you NetGalley for an early release copy which has in no way affected my review)

"Song of a Captive Bird" is an absolutely stunning book: the heartbreaking, sometimes funny, often frustrating story of Persian poet Forugh Farrokhzad will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.

Forugh's story begins in a time of change in Iran, well before the Iranian revolution, when the country was moving in some ways to modernity and in other ways still trapped in the past. As a little girl Forugh wasn't expected to be educated, wasn't allowed the freedom of boys, but Forugh wasn't able and didn't want to stay within the lines drawn for her. She wanted to be free, free to write, free to live her life her way. Caught sneaking out to meet a boy in an innocent meeting, Forugh ends up trapped in an arranged marriage, living in a small conservative town with a mother in law who hates her and a husband who's standards she can't meet. She begins to write poems of great feeling, and under the guise of visiting her mother in Tehran meets a publisher who says he can help her get her poems published. This is a way out of her stultifying life and Forugh begins a relationship that she will later regret. But her poems start to see the light of day and it leads to a friendship and a love affair as well as fame, notoriety and controversy.

In her short life Forugh breaks through many barriers and becomes an inspiration for women in Iran through times of tumultuous change. Throughout the book there are bits of her poems and her writing is gorgeous, inspiring, sensual and from the heart. The measure of good historical fiction is whether it leaves me wanting to know more; Son of the Captive Bird left me hungry to find out more about this courageous woman who wrote so beautifully. This is a wonderful, inspiring story that should not be missed.

Amazing story of a strong, provocative woman growing up in Iran. The 'poetess' is a brave young woman who has overcome many challenges in her life. Beautiful words .... best book I've read since The Red Tent. Spellbinding novel about Forugh Farrakhzad who defies society's plans to find her destiny.

“Song of a Captive Bird” tells the story of Iranian poet Forugh Farrokhzad in this fictional book that’s inspired by Forugh’s real life letters, poems, films, and interviews. I found Forugh’s character captiving as she fought to become a poet in a time that often devalued women and their contributions to the culture. I also loved learning more about Iran in that time period.

I read Jasmin Darznik’s eye-opening novel about the influential Iranian poet and film director, Forugh Farrokhzad.

Darznik depicts pre-revolutionary Iran and captures the struggle of a determined Farrokhzad and her difficult path to fame. This is a heartbreaking tribute to the courageous poet who defied the oppression, traditions and prejudices of her time. She lived her life on her own terms and is an inspiration to young girls and women everywhere.

I rated this book 4/5 stars only because some important pieces were left out making the storyline inconsistent with the poet’s real life. Overall, this is an educational must-read.

Much thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to review this lovely book!

This novel drops readers into a hidden world. we follow a fictionalized life of Forugh Farrokhzad, one of Iran's great female poets who lived from 1936-1967. These were decades of immense political and cultural reversals. Featuring the artistic struggles of one young woman in context creates a fascinating, page-turning tension. "An Iranian daughter is taught to be quiet and meek, but from earliest childhood I was stubborn, noisy, and brash." Indeed, Forugh has inherited a legacy of sorrows and gender-determined power struggles, not the least of which she witnesses in the home. Forugh's father "The Colonel" worked for the government. Her mother is described thus: "Unveiled, corseted, and lipsticked though she was, my mother's life would always be a prayer rug spread at the altar of fear." Author Jasmin Darznik's fabulous storytelling skills, sensory descriptions, and attention to historical detail reveal a complex female character coming of age and making impossible choices in life and love. Written from a first-person point of view, SONG OF A CAPTIVE BIRD resonates like an intimate conversation with a close friend. Will appeal to fans of Marjane Satrapi's PERSEPOLIS or Azar Nafisi's READING LOLITA IN TEHRAN, or anyone wanting to learn more about 20th Century Iran.

3.5/5 stars

In Song of a Captive Bird (a beautiful and perfect title), author Jasmin Darznik is the voice for Iranian poet, Forugh Farrokhzad. Forugh – an influential poet of the 20th century – was notorious for rebelling against cultural norms, especially in her work.

Forugh’s accomplishments come at the expense of her reputation and family life. In her thirty-two years she has been through so much pain; all she wanted was to be loved for who she was. Darznik captures that and uses her own words to bring that love to Forugh.

Without giving away too many details of Forugh’s story – one worth reading – you will meet Forugh as a teenager where a traumatic event will affect her future marriage and lead Forugh to crave another life: one away from being the obeying daughter/wife to one where she is free and independent and her voice is heard. Decisions she will make lead her to live a lonely life (a sacrifice for independence) where her work will be her saving grace. Her work and her being will be exploited by men as a way to try and silence her or gain from her popularity, and she would forever live in the shadow of her reputation. Still she pours herself into her work, not allowing her voice to be silenced.

Forugh’s writing and film making were influential. Her art was honest and raw; it touched upon taboo subjects without apologies. She wrote in a woman’s voice in a male dominated space and lent her voice to those who were silenced. No matter what happened to her, or how she was treated, she never gave up on her talent: it was who she was and would always be her first priority.

The book is inspired by Forugh’s story and a work of fiction. But, it was written in first person which was interesting to me: I often felt as if I was reading a memoir and had to remind myself that certain story lines and characters may not have been true.

It took me a bit longer than my regular reading pace as I had a bit of a slow start, but I wanted to know more of Forugh’s story and kept going: I felt like I owed it to her to keep reading on.

“Remember the flight, for the bird is mortal.”—Forugh Farrokhzad


I received an arc of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

I’d rate this a 3.8. A fascinating novel and portrait about the Iranian poet Forugh Farrokhzad. Personally I never heard of her before reading this novel but she was an interesting woman who lived during the Shah’s tumultuous and repressive regime. It was not easy for women in Iran but the protagonist was a trailblazer and shot through the norms. Her poetry was extremely provocative for the times and even more so from a woman. The struggles and in some cases indecencies she incurred through her life are eye opening. I did like the historical fiction aspect as I learned much about life in Iran and particularly the struggles for women in a very paternalistic society. It did go slowly in parts but overall I found it an interesting read. I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thought I was going to love this book and I liked it a lot the first third; but as time went on — I just tired of it.

This is a debut novel of historical fiction that begins in 1940s Iran. It is the story of the Iranian poet
Forugh Farrokzhad — a woman way ahead of her times.

The book starts when Forugh is a child and ends with her death. However, there is an extremely interesting and moving epilogue following her death which is one of the most powerful parts of the book.

Forugh grew up in the 1940s in a family with means. Her father was the domineering figure a colonel and a man with connections. Her mother was subservient.

Parts I enjoyed most —when I learned things — for instance, in the traditional Persian marriage ceremony the bride does not accept the groom initially.

It’s certainly a well researched and gripping portrait of Iran.

Maybe it was just overall too sad. And it seemed same same same and I wanted more and different. I wanted her struggle to be successful and it was but only up to a point.

So I’m rating it a solid three because it was written well enough, told a story, and I learned something but it just didn’t captivate me.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Forugh Farrokzhad was a trailblazer way ahead of her time. She was a controversial poet in the sixties. She was defying all the rules in Iran. For that she paid a heavy price. This book sucked me in on the first sentence and I actually read it in a day. Powerful and relatable for today. Excellent writing!

Song of a Captive Bird is a nesut8ful novel based on the life of Iranian poet Forugh Farrokhzad. Based on research of her life as well as her poems, this was such an amazing story. I knew nothing about Forugh and little about Iran during the 50-60s. The life she lived was astonishing in its bravery despite the many hardships, brought on her both by the culture and her own choices. I enjoyed the excerpts of her poetry as well and plan to read more. I felt the novelist did a great job of speaking in Forugh's voice and sharing her remarkable and sadly short life story.

I always like novels that teach me about a place in time or a person in history that I knew nothing about. Song of a Captive Bird does this and more. Jasmin Darznik has written a stellar novel about the maverick poet, Forugh Farrokhzad, which is sure to leave readers captivated. This novel made me want to read all of Farrokhzad’s poems and research further into her tragic life.

I recall in 1979 the first time I had heard of the country called Iran. From that first day I heard the words spoken, it would be many consecutive days that I would hear phrases that shaped my small understanding – The Hostage Crisis, The Shah of Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini. There were images that crossed the television screen – Young male college age students, blind folded Americans, large crowds gathered around the American Embassy. This was the Iran I knew of. This was my view of the country. I was young, Middle School aged, so my interaction was left to that of a typical pre-teen.

So, when I first views this novel, “Song of a Captive Bird“, and I read about its author, Jasmin Darzink, I recalled the well received memoir she had written, “The Good Daughter: A Memoir of my Mothers Hidden Life”. I also learned from here essay’s that she was one of many, as a young girl, that fled Iran just before the Revolution. She told of her families journey, her recall as a immigrant and her memory of her parents melancholy regarding a want for an eventual return to Iran. She became in wonder of the few things her mother was able to bring with her, one was a slim book of poems by Farugh Farrokhzad. These poems, that book she first looked at as a young girl, would lead to eventual writing this novel.

This story of the trail blazing poet, Farugh, a defining influence of her generation, was not a subject I would readily search out. I am not much of a for poetry. However, the title and the cover of the book spoke to me. Then, as I was reading, within the beginning of a few chapters were pieces of poems that grabbed my attention. These poems were different, they were focused and expressive. They were approachable. They were not pretentious. These little pieces had me stop and look for more of Farugh’s poetry:

"I’ll greet the sun again.
I’ll greet the stream that flowed within me,
The clouds that were my tallest thoughts,
the aspens in the garden
that endured seasons of drought with me,
the flock of crows
that brought me the scent of the fields at night,
my mother who lived in the mirror and
reflected the face of my old age,
The burning womb
my lust has filled the green seeds.
I’ll greet them all again.
– from “I Will Greet the Sun Again”

This world author Jasmin Darzinka has colored in for me is now much more vivid and real. This wonderful Historical Fiction, set in the 1940’s through 1968, held me fixed on every word. Every heart stopping action that occurred. Farugh’s life, hard with sharp jagged edges, dark as a moonless night and as colorful as the novel’s cover expresses a woman who would become a voice of a country. She gave voice to women for the first time, feelings they felt, but never before manifested in word or print. Farugh enters the world bound by physical walls. Walls build to keep her restrained within the customs of her country. She, as a woman is expected to be silent and submissive. Hidden. She is born to a Father, a high-ranking colonel in the Shaw’s Army, who rules his family absolutely. By a mother who had known no other life than that of the submissive wife and mother. in the background is the ever present social and political unrest of the country. Farugh rails against theses expectations placed on her, and suffers for it. After only attaining education to the age of thirteen or Fourteen, she will become a sensation at the age of nineteen with the publication of her first poem, “Sin”.

With the publication of “Sin” she becomes, at once, both famous and infamous. Labeled. Yet, she would not be silenced. She would live a life not before witnessed in Tehran or the whole of Iran. She would create. Five books of poetry, documentaries. She would carve out a place for herself in the larger world. As with so many young and talented artist’s she will leave this earth too soon. Before she does she leaves us a legacy of works that we all will be able to enjoy and appreciate for the ages.

I love when I fall backwards into a great book. The kind that opens your eyes to a new world view. One you had no foundation in and out of it you come away with a new appreciation of that world or of the people in it. Jasmin Darzink delivered just that type of experience with her new novel “Song of a Captive Bird.” I thank her for this. And I thank her for sharing Farugh Farrokhzad with me.

Available now for Pre-order or on Store shelves – February 13th 2018
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* would like to thank Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, NetGalley and Jasmin Darzink for the opportunity to read this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.