The Blood of Flowers

by Anita Amirrezvani

We begin by meeting a 14-year old Iranian girl who remains nameless throughout the novel. She is our narrator, as well as our heroine, and she does a fantastic job transporting us to 17th century Iran, and the world of the rug makers. The novel begins with an ominous sign- a comet in the sky signals a troubling year ahead for our heroine and her family. Of marriageable age at last, she is looking forward to a future arranged marriage, until the comet brings forth prophecies for an unlucky year ahead.

Sure enough, a short while later, our girl's father dies of a mysterious illness and her and her mother are left to fend for themselves. Without the income from her father for a dowry, she is unable to be matched to a suitor, and her and her mother find themselves reaching out to a distant relative for assistance. A short while later, the half-uncle of our girl summons her and her mother to live with him in the great city of Isfahan, and they leave their rustic village behind with hopes of earning favor and a life.

Our young woman has a talent for rug-making, and it is to her delight that they find their relative to be a master carpet-maker, a subject of the Shah's royal court, her uncle Gostaham quickly learns of her talent, and agrees to teach her, even though rug making is a man's job. Her and her mother also become household servants, grateful for the place to lay their heads at night, but well aware that they need to find a way to earn money for a dowry as well as freedom for both of them.

Then a marriage proposal comes to our young lady. At first, her mother is very excited, the marriage proposal is from a wealthy man and could secure a future for both of them. Then they learn that the marriage proposal is a short term deal called a sigheh. For a period of three months she agrees to the temporary marriage with the hopes that she will be able to someday earn the right as a permanent wife.

This book was wonderful. It was so vibrantly written, I could see myself wandering the streets of Persia, getting caught up in the smells and sounds of the marketplace. I could almost see the vibrant colors of the many Persian rugs we were told about. My heart rose and fell with our heroine, and I felt like I was a part of her tiny family. Many of the twists and turns were unexpected, but very realistic, and I am certain, very accurate historically. It was fascinating hearing details of how those beautiful Persian rugs were made, and how carefully each one is designed and put together.

Interwoven within the novel are short stories from Iranian culture, and they added such a wonderful layer to the story, and so many of the stories were what gave our heroine the courage she needed to tackle her next obstacle. I loved this book, and really didn't want to put it down. I am very glad to have read it, because it gave me a glimpse into another world that I truly know nothing about. I feel enriched having read this.

I definitely recommend this book, and I think both men and women would enjoy it, however, I do have to warn that there are "adult situations" and the accompanying language throughout. There are sensual moments, but I didn't feel they were extraneous or un-necessary. For the most part, they were essential to the flow of the story, and tied right in with our girl's rug making.