It is no secret that the Middle East is one of the most turbulent places on this entire planet we call Earth, with there constantly being tensions between different religious and cultural groups, with ever-present clamors for either modern reforms or reverting to traditionalism.
Though we may hear news of all the deaths that are happening over there, grasping the true importance and impact of events taking place so far away is a difficult thing to do.
Remember, feeling sorry and understanding what it is like are two very different things. There are few people who are in a better position to understand the conflict than Sahar Delijani, who has born in the Evin prison of Tehran, Iran, and saw first-hand the atrocities men can inflict on each other.
Some of the accounts are truly harrowing, and I believe that this is a very important novel, not only because it’s well written, but also because it helps to raise awareness about a problem (for lack of a better word) which far exceeds what any of us will have to deal with in our lives. If you want to know what the situation truly was like in post-revolutionary Iran and how it is now, I definitely recommend you invest some time to read this book.
Children of the Jacaranda Tree, by Sahar Delijani, is basically a novelization of her experience and the events taking place in Iran from 1983 to 2011, following the lives of numerous individuals as they are caught in the violent turmoil of post-revolutionary Iran. One of those characters is herself, so it would be accurate to say that this book is part autobiography, part novel and part documentary.
I won’t go into detail as to the various storylines you will be reading, but rest assured they depict the conflict from points of view that are different enough from each other, so that as the reader can see for him or herself how those from different walks of life are affected by the same events.
All in all, this was one of those heart-wrenching novels, mostly because the fate which befalls the characters is realistic. Yes, there are some happy endings, but not all of them. In real life, it seems as if evil simply prevails, and this book not only shows it, but makes you feel it, forcing you to invest yourself emotionally into the lives and fates of the characters.
Some of the accounts are truly harrowing, and I believe that this is a very important novel, not only because it’s well written, but also because it helps to raise awareness about a problem (for lack of a better word) which far exceeds what any of us will have to deal with in our lives. If you want to know what the situation truly was like in post-revolutionary Iran and how it is now, I definitely recommend you invest some time to read this book.
 | Sahar DelijaniPersonal site Though she was born in Iran, Sahar Delijani and her family moved to California while she was still relatively young. Nevertheless, her experiences in her native country have marked her mind forever, giving her a unique perspective on civil and personal matters in the Middle East. She is the author of internationally-renowned Children of the Jacaranda Tree. |
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