Half a Cup of Sand and Sky

loved that this novel really showed the different types of love we can experience with different partners, as well as the different ways that guilt and grief can manifest. I also really appreciated getting some great context on real life events in a way that only a historical fiction or a memoir can, from that first person perspective. It also was a great POV to gain some understanding on early activism against nuclear weapons, a goal that will ring very true to anyone who saw Oppenheimer this summer. That movie really centered the American perspective, as do many stories written by American authors, but I enjoyed that this one had the perspective mainly of Iranian characters, as well as perspectives from Israeli, Jordanian, and Swedish characters. At the end of the text, Amineh is no longer mourning the parts of herself that became more dormant as she became a wife and mother, something she blamed herself for but that seemed pretty natural to me! It was really good to see her gain some closure and perspective and come to the realization that we all go through seasons, and that those aspects of her are still alive and well. Amineh is the kind of character who is both relatable and aspirational, as she is very strong, determined, and intelligent. I enjoyed this book a lot, and am grateful to NetGalley for providing me with the ARC.

“And then she added that nothing was too lowly to feel love and to be made better by it.”

A character-driven novel following Amineh as she lives amidst the turmoil of post-revolution Iran and its ensuing arm’s race. This is a novel about love's many forms, grief's many faces, and the indomitable human spirit. I will be carrying Amineh with me for a long time. Reminded me in a lot of ways of Elena Ferrante's Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay in its contemplative tone, uncertain atmosphere, and familial themes. Also, Bjursten’s food writing throughout this novel is incomparable. Pomegranate soup is on the menu this fall.

Much gratitude to NetGalley for offering this title as an ARC.

This was a really emotional and character driven novel mainly following a young woman named Amineh, beginning in 1977 in Iran, continuing until the novel’s epilogue in 2009. Amineh grows and changes as we all do, throughout this time, influenced by the friends, romantic entanglements, and world events around her. I loved this story of Amineh, and I think it will go down as one of the classics.

Thanks to Netgalley for this inspirational read!

In Iran, women's lives are incredibly challenging. All social classes in Iran participated in the revolution of 1979 against the government

This book was incredibly moving and character-driven. It mostly followed Amineh and her closest friend Ava from the book's opening in 1977 in Iran to its epilogue in 2009. During this period, Amineh experiences the same growth and change as the rest of us, shaped by the friendships, romantic relationships, and external events she encounters. I adored how this book accurately depicted the various forms of love we may have with various partners, as well as the various ways in which regret and loss might appear. I also loved how the first person narrative provided some wonderful context for real life events in a way that only historical fiction or a memoir can. Amineh blamed herself for this, but it seems very natural to me that at the end of the text, she is no longer lamenting the aspects of herself that grew more dormant as she became a wife and mother. It was incredibly encouraging to see her find some solace, gain some perspective, and understand that everyone experiences seasons and that those parts of herself are still very much alive and strong. Since Amineh is a strong, resolute, and clever heroine, she is both relatable and aspirational.

Strong themes abound, including friendship, suffering, loss, and love. This extremely comprehensive work also shines at excellent characterisation.

I think it would make for a terrific, suspenseful movie with a lot of emotional turmoil.

It was difficult to put the book down because of the fast pace and how quickly I was drawn in.

What are some of the debut authors you would highly recommend?

For me, it’s Nadine Bjursten. I have always been drawn to Iranian culture ever since I read the classic, Marjane Satrapi’s The Persepolis. Like Satrapi’s graphic novel, Bjursten calls attention to the 1977 anti-Shah protests at Tehran. As readers, we meet Amineh, a brilliant young woman studying Persian literature during the Iranian revolution.

A chance encounter with Farzad, an opposition leader and nuclear disarmament activist, changes her world as he seeks to hold the Shah accountable for the nuclear arms program that hangs over their heads.

As the plot unfolds, we see that the author’s research into the nuclear arms program and the Iranian revolution is clear in the way in which the novel is shaped. During an interview, the author also mentions that the goal to write the novel was to not define Iran by a single story of extreme religion. Indeed, there are far less stories that celebrate women’s role in Iran, especially protesting against often strictly reinforced cultural and religious expectations and their bodies. If you are unfamiliar with literature from Iran, and its rich history, this novel is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn about it. I couldn’t put it down, and absolutely adored Amineh’s characterization. The novel is out now!

Thank you @Nadine.Bjursten and @Alderhousebooks for the gifted arc.

#NadineBjursten #HalfACupofSunandSky #Iran #shnidhi #AlderHouseBooks

There could be no more pertinent novel to read amidst the world's hostilities than this evocative book bringing people, politics, peace and poetry from the country of Iran to the world stage.
Nominated for a PEN award it shows that any pen in the hand of a brilliant writer is more powerful than the sword and I learnt so much of the country so often (and still now with Middle East unrest) heralded as part of the 'axis of evil'.
It also makes a reader think as we follow the life of Amineh from the damask rose farm of the Iranian countryside to the melting pot of revolutionary University life in the capital Tehran that surely wouldn't we be better off in so many ways with more women in charge perhaps? (well with some exceptions) and leaders not oppressing but educating their new generations in literature instead of weaponry?
Now if that all sounds a bit fluffy and moralistic this novel does not sink into those traps. The writing is beautiful with vivid descriptions of the Iranian landscape and the culture, food, music and written words of Persia but this is the daily life that tries to anchor Amineh in her own family, guilt and often soul searching distress at her own ability to be at peace with her world.
The importance of family is well described alongside the difficulties of living in a very turbulent political regime where even your own trust in family and friends is often to be questionned.
I read this book in one session so absorbed was I in the story. I learnt a lot about the history of nuclear disarmament (the author had been Editor of US 'Arms Control Today' but was equally scathing about all nations and leaders across the years and their inability to seek peace and not annihilation. Religion fares no better and although the world of Amineh's husband Farzad showed the nations working in harmony the tenuous suspicion of control and power being undermined as it often does obliterates the best intentions. World in union? Never it seems. But the power of a novel is to show humanity, love and hope. It can take us through a life and then offer a slice of happiness for change.
Wars today from Ukraine to the Israel/Palestine prove again and again that we never learn from history. Can we learn from literature? Well perhaps a copy of this book might be a start.