frilledutt's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
mjsteimle's review against another edition
3.0
This is a series of vignettes about the children of people who were imprisoned after the Iranian revolution. Many of the young adults who worked to bring about the revolution were later tortured, imprisoned, and executed as the new regime became increasingly Islamist. By focusing on the children of the prisoners, the author explores how these events in Iran's (recent) history have influenced its people.
The imagery is beautiful, but I felt the unifying device of the jacaranda tree was a heavy handed. I appreciate this book and how it deepened my understanding of Iran's history, but I liked Reading Lolita in Tehran better.
The imagery is beautiful, but I felt the unifying device of the jacaranda tree was a heavy handed. I appreciate this book and how it deepened my understanding of Iran's history, but I liked Reading Lolita in Tehran better.
trankin's review against another edition
4.0
Beautifully-written. Compelling story based on the author's family history in Iran over a 25-year period of time. The author was born in a prison in Tehran where her parents were political prisoners. The narrative jumps around between several characters and their individual stories. My only complaint, it sometimes was hard to remember which stories went with which characters.
countingstarsbycandlelight's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't love it, but it was hardly this book's fault. I read it RIGHT AFTER I finished Khaled Hosseini's And The Mountains Echoed, so it just couldn't compete. It was interesting to read about Iran in the 80s and 90s, but I didn't care enough about the characters. I did finish it, and I think I would have liked it better if I had not read it when I did.
misspalah's review
4.0
“She could only see them as three reflections of one body. Three in one, like the branches of a tree, the jacaranda tree in their courtyard. One could never tell where the tree ended and the branches started. That was what they were, the three children: the tree and its branches."
- Sahar Delijani, Children of the Jacaranda Tree
.
.
This book was written on the account of Author’s experience of being born in the Notorious Evin Prison in Iran. She written back what her mother went through as she went into the labor, she was held in a room for hours and at the same time being interrogated while enduring the pain. The book began with Azar’s POV of going through the same as experience as the author’s mother. As you might wonder why the title is “Children of Jacaranda Tree”, it is because this is a story of the children of those who were being detained in Iran during and after the revolution of the 1980's. Throughout the book, we explored the life of Iranian political prisoners in the 1980s, the mass killing of leftist prisoners in 1988, the long term impact of imprisonment on relationships between former prisoners and their children. The imprisonment did directly affected the author as Delijani's uncle was killed by the regime as he was the only one remain during the mass killing of prisoners in 1988. He had been arrested six years before, along with his two brothers, his wife and Delijani's mother. From the opening scenes of a prison birth to receiving clothes from prison officials after the death of her husband while in custody, this is how ghosts of revolution cast a long shadow on everyone’s lives. Throughout the stories that are entangled with ech other, we followed Azar who gave birth to Neda but could not take care of her as she was being taken away soon from her arms. Then, Leila, Azar’s sister appeared in the story dedicating her life to take care her niece and at the same time other kids that has been taken in by both Azar’s and Leila’s Parents. Then, we followed entirely different story but this time, A story of Amir, Maryam and their daughter, Sheida who never met her father as he never made it out alive of the prison. We saw the dilemma of Maryam who wanted to leave the country and we saw why Sheida felt betrayed knowing her father is not dead due to cancer but being executed. There are other children’s tales too,l like Dante where he was being abandoned when their parents are arrested and brought up with other family members.Delijani's writing is truly gorgeous. It felt real, like you were the spectator when she’s describing what the characters felt like and how certain situations unfolded. I deducted 1 stars because some of the characters are not developed well and it is disjointed to the point you get confused that you have to trace back which character you are following. Other than that, what an evocative novel.
- Sahar Delijani, Children of the Jacaranda Tree
.
.
This book was written on the account of Author’s experience of being born in the Notorious Evin Prison in Iran. She written back what her mother went through as she went into the labor, she was held in a room for hours and at the same time being interrogated while enduring the pain. The book began with Azar’s POV of going through the same as experience as the author’s mother. As you might wonder why the title is “Children of Jacaranda Tree”, it is because this is a story of the children of those who were being detained in Iran during and after the revolution of the 1980's. Throughout the book, we explored the life of Iranian political prisoners in the 1980s, the mass killing of leftist prisoners in 1988, the long term impact of imprisonment on relationships between former prisoners and their children. The imprisonment did directly affected the author as Delijani's uncle was killed by the regime as he was the only one remain during the mass killing of prisoners in 1988. He had been arrested six years before, along with his two brothers, his wife and Delijani's mother. From the opening scenes of a prison birth to receiving clothes from prison officials after the death of her husband while in custody, this is how ghosts of revolution cast a long shadow on everyone’s lives. Throughout the stories that are entangled with ech other, we followed Azar who gave birth to Neda but could not take care of her as she was being taken away soon from her arms. Then, Leila, Azar’s sister appeared in the story dedicating her life to take care her niece and at the same time other kids that has been taken in by both Azar’s and Leila’s Parents. Then, we followed entirely different story but this time, A story of Amir, Maryam and their daughter, Sheida who never met her father as he never made it out alive of the prison. We saw the dilemma of Maryam who wanted to leave the country and we saw why Sheida felt betrayed knowing her father is not dead due to cancer but being executed. There are other children’s tales too,l like Dante where he was being abandoned when their parents are arrested and brought up with other family members.Delijani's writing is truly gorgeous. It felt real, like you were the spectator when she’s describing what the characters felt like and how certain situations unfolded. I deducted 1 stars because some of the characters are not developed well and it is disjointed to the point you get confused that you have to trace back which character you are following. Other than that, what an evocative novel.
leleroulant's review against another edition
3.0
It had the potential to be a really good book but there were too many characters, some popping out of nowhere!
theaceofpages's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
"Now one of these women is dead, but Dante cannot cry. He is furious with the glorious sun in the white-blue sky. He does not understand why tragedies always happywm on beautiful sunny days."
Set in Iran, this book looks at the lives of the children of prisoners. It examines the pain and grief experienced in the extreme regime between 1983 and 2011.
This book had so much potential. I felt a connection with Azar in the first chapter as the author seemed to focus on building her up. After that... After that I got a little lost. The book went downhill after the first chapter. There are just too many characters and things happening. Sure, there are some beautiful parts and the writing isn't bad, but overall I just struggled to get into the book as much for the rest. The pain of the characters is there, but I couldn't connect with them in the same way. I don't know, the other characters felt a little flat and underdeveloped. Maybe it's just because if how many there are and how quickly they're introduced though. This might have worked better as a series of short stories. They already are so close to being one, but they are all loosely connected by a fine, very tangled, thread.
I did consider giving this book three stars, but I don't think it's quite there. And looking at comments some others have made, the book dramatically underplayed the conditions in the prison (the part of the story that managed to draw me in and I connected with most as a result). While this is fiction, it disappoints me a bit and convinced me to go with a slightly lower ranting (one I was already considering anyway).
Set in Iran, this book looks at the lives of the children of prisoners. It examines the pain and grief experienced in the extreme regime between 1983 and 2011.
This book had so much potential. I felt a connection with Azar in the first chapter as the author seemed to focus on building her up. After that... After that I got a little lost. The book went downhill after the first chapter. There are just too many characters and things happening. Sure, there are some beautiful parts and the writing isn't bad, but overall I just struggled to get into the book as much for the rest. The pain of the characters is there, but I couldn't connect with them in the same way. I don't know, the other characters felt a little flat and underdeveloped. Maybe it's just because if how many there are and how quickly they're introduced though. This might have worked better as a series of short stories. They already are so close to being one, but they are all loosely connected by a fine, very tangled, thread.
I did consider giving this book three stars, but I don't think it's quite there. And looking at comments some others have made, the book dramatically underplayed the conditions in the prison (the part of the story that managed to draw me in and I connected with most as a result). While this is fiction, it disappoints me a bit and convinced me to go with a slightly lower ranting (one I was already considering anyway).
Content warnings
I will try to avoid spoliers and will add a note if it contains one!
Loss of child
Confinement
Death
Grief
Violence
Miscarriage
Suicide
Loss of child
Spoiler
Not to death but a child is removed from their mother. She struggles with it.Confinement
Spoiler
The first story is about a prisoner.Death
Spoiler
Not particularly gruesome, but there are multiple deaths. One Includes post death rituals.Grief
Spoiler
A lot of sadness around loss, including deathViolence
Spoiler
Includes a woman getting beaten by a group of guards.Miscarriage
Spoiler
Probably the best word to use for the situation.The actual loss isn't detailed, but the events leading to it are upsetting.Suicide
Spoiler
A character hangs themselves.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Confinement, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Miscarriage and Suicide
Minor: War
preetachag's review against another edition
4.0
amazing use of language and creating an ambience which creates the scenes right in front of your eyes.
For anyone even remotely interested in reading about iran-iraq, this book is enjoyable....some sections ready like poetry....
For anyone even remotely interested in reading about iran-iraq, this book is enjoyable....some sections ready like poetry....
usedtoreadalot's review against another edition
2.0
I struggled with this. Found it very disjointed, jumping around in time and between characters. I felt this would have worked better as a series of short stories instead of trying to link them into a novel. Very flowery language also had me cringing at times.
cheyenne_g's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0