The Blood Of Flowers (Historical Fiction (Hardcover))

by Anita Amirrezvani

'Sensuous and transporting... filled with the colours, tastes and fragrances of life in 17th century Isfahan. Amirrezvani clearly knows and loves the ways of old Iran, and brings them to life with the cadences of a skilled story-spinner' Geraldine Brooks

THE BLOOD OF FLOWERS is a mesmerizing historical novel about a young Iranian woman whose destiny changes on the sudden death of her father. Forced to leave their village, the woman and her mother travel to the beautiful city of Isfahan, where they are taken in by an uncle, a wealthy carpet designer, and his unsympathetic wife. When an ill-considered action results in the heroine's fall from grace, she is forced into an extraordinary secret marriage. Spirited and rebellious, she wants to be free to live a life her own choosing, if she can find a way.

'The most wonderful book... Fascinating, totally original and utterly gripping' Esther Freud

'The prose... positively glows on the page, and the characterisation is similarly acute, notably of the wonderfully drawn heroine. As a journey into a society that will be alien to most readers, this is a remarkable achievement' Barry Forshaw

• ISBN10: 0755334213
• ISBN13: 9780755334216
• Publish Date: 3 April 2008 (first published 3 May 2007)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Headline Publishing Group
• Imprint: Headline Review
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 464
• Language: English

Reviews

[Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews]

At the age of fourteen, a young woman in 17th-century 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.

The Blood of Flowers was spellbinding and really took you to 17th century Persia. The descriptions of the process of rug making was very interesting and the colors and patterns the characters used sound gorgeous. I loved the idea of the girl's ''secret marriage" and had me holding my breath every time her marriage contract was up for renewal; especially since that was both her and her mother's bread and butter and earned themselves their keep in the Uncle's home. Although, I was extremely surprised to learn that when the "husband" did choose a first wife it was some very close to his mistress which caused conflict between the two women and led to the girl's decision to leave the marriage and try to better her life and started anew. This was such a fulfilling novel with surprises and twists behind every corner.