A review by simchareads
The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali

emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This is a beautifully written historical romance! The story centers on two Persian teenagers from families with different socioeconomic and political ambitions, set in the backdrop of a politically volatile Iran in 1953.

I love the tropes of forbidden & impossible love, so this story was right up my alley! The Iranian government upheaval during the 1950’s (The struggles between an ancient monarchy transitioning to democracy, foreign governments trying to disrupt their democracy for personal trade interests, communism trying to regain power in the country, etc) were lighter aspects of the plot line, but still feel powerful in our modern era.

There were a few convenient vices to bridge storylines that were a bit “meh” for me. My main complaint is I felt
Bahman’s mom was a bit unfairly villainized, especially in the epilogue, when Mr. Fahkri was so involved in generational trauma & I would argue he had more power in the dynamic to end it.
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