Welcome to Litsy!

Oh my goodness! I loved it!
A story of two young girls of different backgrounds becoming best friends during the 1950s in Tehran, and growing up in different worlds. Along with the themes of friendship, forgiveness, women's freedom, and learning to love, we also learn the history of how women lost their rights in Iran. I grew to like Ellie (though she got on my nerves a few times) but I loved Homa. It was realistic and bittersweet. I give it 5 ⭐️

I‘m forever looking for books featuring lifelong female friendships that speak to me the way Elena Ferrante‘s books do. This comes close.

Loved it !! Learned so much !

This is one of this year‘s Great Group Reads books (full list coming soon) so I brought it with me on holiday so I‘d start it.

This was so good! If you love friendship stories that last nearly a whole life, read this!

This is a stunning portrayal of youth, courage and friendship, all set against the turbulent decades in Iranian history. This is the second novel I have read by Kamali and I am a huge fan of her writing style. I have been swept up by both stories, and this one particularly resonated with me. Her study of female friendships in this narrative is remarkable. I felt the love and the joy along with the sadness and uncertainty as this story unfolded.

I just loved The Stationary Shop, so I was excited for this one and it did not disappoint. It follows the lives and friendship of two women in Tehran who meet as girls and the different paths they end up on. It‘s terrific. Kamali really excels at bittersweet.

What a beautiful book! It‘s a story about strong woman in Iran who had a very strong friendship. It‘s about forgiveness and love. I learned a lot about life in Iran and about how it changed for the worse over the years. I sympathize with the strong women who live there, for whom freedom is just a dream. Reading this book reminded me of how fortunate am to be free. I highly recommend this book and gave it 5 ⭐️s.

This book gives us a glimpse of life in Tehran from the 1950s through 1980s. The way it weaves a friendship of two 7-yo girls into and through adulthood to capture the Iranian experience, women‘s rights, class divide, social injustice - is exceptional. Some of the story is particular to Iran and some is universal to female friendships. 👇

I loved this book about two young women growing up in Tehran. A really good book about friendship and life under a totalitarian regime.

I thought this was excellent!

A story about friendship (including all the complications) and deciding what you are going to stand up for and how much you are willing to sacrifice for your beliefs.

Here's what I chose for #BOTM this time. I put One Star Romance in my July box already. I have the two other books as well. I had to wait until my relationship status changed so I could add more than two books.