This book was definitely written with tenderness and care. The character of Homa was written with a reverence and respect from the earliest scenes to the last few chapters. The culture and language of Iran, especially in the tumultuous years of the 20th century were rendered with detail and a specificity that was atmospheric. 

The main character, Ellie, however, was so weak compared to the other casts of characters that their friendship seemed horribly lopsided. Even at the end there still seemed to be an imbalance in the strength and vibrancy of the characters. 

I thought the last two chapters, while topical, seemed tacked on as an afterthought. The afterword by the author confirmed they were added later. 

Ultimately, the book was very similar to a lot of other female friendship-in historically turbulent setting books. While it was a very interesting story about Iran and their difficult recent history, the actual narrative wasn’t a great departure from other books we’ve read in the catalog of female friendship stories. 



Also, on a personal note, the denouement was too neat and tidy and coincided with a plot point that felt too hallmark-movie for me. Maybe I just am too much of a Debbie-downer, but it took me out of the realism.