The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani

Author: Anita Amirrezvani

Reading level: Adult

Publisher: Little, Brown & Company

Rated 8.5/10

At the age of fourteen, a young woman in 17th-century Persia believes she will be married within the year. But when her beloved father dies, collapsing in the field where he works with the other men from their village, there is no hope for a dowry. Alone and penniless, she and her grieving mother are forced to sell the brilliant turquoise rug the young woman has woven,meant, of course, for her married life, to pay for their journey to Isfahan. There they will work as servants for her uncle Gostaham, a rich rug designer in the court of the Shah, and be lorded over by Gostaham's wife. Despite her lowly station, the young woman blossoms as a brilliant weaver of carpets, a rarity in a craft dominated by men. But while her artistic gift flourishes, her prospects for a happy marriage grow dim. Forced into a secret marriage with a man who will never take her as his first wife, the young woman is faced with a daunting decision: forsake her own dignity, or risk everything she has in an effort to maintain it. Amirrezvani infuses her story with lush detail, brilliantly bringing to life the sights sounds and life of 17th-century Isfahan: The dazzling architecture; the exotic Persian foods; the breathtakingly beautiful rugs. A sweeping love story, a powerful coming-of-age story, and a luminous portrait of a city, this is a universal tale of one woman's struggle to live a life of her choosing.

MY REVIEW
I like this book but was aggravated a lot at the main character's situation, and I know that it happens in real life to many women, then and now. This is another book that makes me happy to live in the time and culture I do, I know I have so many choices and more freedom than other women now and throughout history. Even though she did shameful things she did them for an honroable reason, and I guess the same could be said about many women. We look at those women and look down on them but they do what has to be done and I resepect women who are like that. While reading this you learn about rug making and appreciate the time and effort that must have been put into making them. You'll also learn a little bit about 17th century Iran and it's culture and customs.

This is the story of a girl, who by the end of the novel is a woman, who endures many hardships. Her father dies and she goes with her mother to the city of Isfahan to live with her father's half brother and his wife. They are treated more like servants than family but her uncle shows interest in her and her talent for rug making. Soon she makes a new friend, Naheed, and they become very close. She marries a wealthy man, Fereydoon in a three month marriage contract which he can renew or discard anytime after those months are over. She has to keep fearing not having money and a place for her and her mother to live. I don't really want to give too much away but I think this book is really worth the time to read it. It's not the best book I have ever read but I did enjoy reading it. I'm a little mad that Fereydoon never got what I thought he deserved, I despise his character. Haha and times I'm not gonna lie I felt like I was reading pornagraphy when it came to the love scenes but I'm a grown woman and know all about that kind of stuff so it didn't bother me like some of the people I have read reviews from on this book. This book should really be for people mature enough to read about sex and not those sickened by it. What else did they think was gonna happen in a marriage between a man and woman?