Reviews tagging 'Miscarriage'

The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali

101 reviews

nataliecoyne's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Words cannot express how much I loved this book. It is such an easy 5 stars and I now really admire Marjan Kamali's writing. I loved her other book that I read, <i>The Lion Women of Tehran</i>, but it's entirely possible that I loved this one even more. The story is so beautiful, albeit tragic at times. And it felt very <i>real.</i> It didn't feel like I was watching some cheesy romance movie.

At first, I didn't really understand the decision to include a romance between Ali and [name I'm not including to avoid spoilers], when I read the chapter with introducing that romance at the beginning of part 2 I was like "okay, this is random??" But, by the end, it made a lot of sense.

I absolutely would recommend this to others. Easy 5 stars.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Terminal illness, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and Classism

Minor: Drug use, Infertility, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Vomit, Islamophobia, Dementia, Religious bigotry, Abortion, and War

muazah_ok's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

adoto's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

I would have enjoyed this more if I believed in the strength of their love and it wasn't just a bunch of teenage fancies. I did tear up when

Patricia brought Roya Nowruz gifts

though. I also found the prose in the epilogue a little weird? It did give me closure, but it was written weirdly. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Child death, Miscarriage, Police brutality, and Abortion

pagesofash's review against another edition

challenging sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

It's a brilliant story, it's just not for me, despite how well written it is and how layer the characters are, despite the confronting history that makes me realise my privilege and question my perspective I just can't love a story that makes me feel sad from start to finish. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, and Classism

Moderate: Suicide attempt and War

Minor: Cancer, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Police brutality, and Death of parent

jalapeno89's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I found this book interesting as it was set during a time period in history that I don’t know much about. A running thread through this story was how the political landscape in Iran has played a changing role in the lives of the women who reside there. 

I read this book in two days because I was so invested in Bahman and Roya’s story. I picked up this novel based on The Book Girl’s list for their Book Lover’s Challenge. The prompt was “character’s connecting through books,” and this story nailed it! I loved seeing how the stationary shop continued to play a vital part in a blossoming and enduring romance. A wonderful story, yet so heartbreaking! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Miscarriage, Violence, Abortion, and Suicide attempt

qirhh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

It’ll leave you feeling bittersweet yet content. You’ll understand that what’s not meant to be has already been written in our fate, and what’s meant to be will always find its way to us. 

I love this book so very much. It will be on my mind for a while. I will look up the history of Iran and its people. I will think of Roya and Bahman and the people alike when I search it up. I will be reminded of not just the Iran-Iraq war, but the past world wars and the current ones. It will remind me of why I like to pick historical books though they are mostly of tragic stories yet there is always a lesson to learn from them. 

This book will be in my heart forever. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage and Grief

Moderate: Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and War

natreadthat's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Amidst the rising Iranian revolution, two kids find solace in one another as their love story blossoms. A chance encounter more than sixty years later leads Roya back to Bahman, the boy she was going to marry. Will she finally learn why he never met her in the square all those years ago? 

 

This story is not a happy one, it’s a tale of love, loss, and forgiveness. What would you do if the lost love of your life resurfaced decades later? How would your current partner handle it? The story follows Roya as she grows up, heals from heartbreak, leaves her country to attend college, marries, and crosses paths with Bahman once again. There are different kinds of love in the human experience, and this was a great reflection of that. 

 

I really, really loved The Lion Women of Tehran (read it!!) and was hoping The Stationary Shop would be just as excellent. It was good, but Lion Women is my favorite Kamali so far! And wowee, check out that beautiful cover! 🤩

bookstagram: @natreadthat

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Grief and Abortion

medini_l's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Blood, and Abortion

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Grief, Abortion, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Colonisation, and Classism

hollydyer328's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This was a rich, lush, and complex love story (but not a romance). Set in the backdrop of the political turmoil of 1950s Iran, we get a star-crossed lovers story of Roya and Bahman. They meet in a quaint stationary shop run by Mr. Fakri, and they exchange letters to each other through pages of books in the shop. Despite Bahman's mother's disapproval, they make a plan to get married by meeting in the town square. However, a protest erupts and Roya and Bahman are separated and forced to live their lives without each other. Roya goes to the US for university, marries and settles in New England, but the what-could-have-been love she felt for Bahman will haunt her for decades.

At some points I thought this story was falling into a common romance trope, but Kamali handles it wisely and with emotional resonance. She particularly explores family dynamics and expectations of class and gender, as well as mental health and its stigmas. The setting of the political conflict between the Shah and the Prime Minister adds tension and stakes. And the descriptions of the Persian cuisine and cooking adds warmth and depth. The audio is a captivating listen!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Miscarriage

Moderate: Abortion

chloewakham's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective fast-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Violence

Moderate: Police brutality

Minor: Miscarriage and Abortion