Publication Date: 03rd Oct 2024
Genre: Historical Autofiction
3.5 Stars
One Liner: Informative but with a few misses
A six-year-old Moji loves spending time with her family in their house in Tehran. What’s better than listening to her grandfather narrating bedtime stories from One Thousand and One Nights?
However, the Iranian Revolution disrupts their lives. The new regime brings Islamic laws, restricting women to their homes. Moji has to live through the changes, adjust to a new life in the US, and see her father detained by the Islamic Revolutionary Army, all the while growing up into an adolescent with new awareness, questions, and desires.
The story comes in Moji’s first-person POV.
My Thoughts:
It’s my second book of the month dealing with a tough topic. However, the presentation is the opposite of Tali Girls. Those who want something less traumatic and triggering will find this easier to read.
Iran didn’t go from monarchy to supposed democracy. It went from being a Persian culture to an Islamic one with the colors replaced by black chadors (or burqas) and multiple restrictions on women. A quick internet search about 'Iran then and now' will give you a clear picture of the changes.
More links:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy42vxd99po
In this book, the changes are recorded by a six-year-old Moji. We see the developments from her eyes. The first part is very strong despite the lack of detail. It presents the uncertainties, the shift from a carefree life to one filled with fear and anxiety, and how easy it is to get carried away by extreme ideas. We also see the racism and hatred little Moji faces during her short stay in the US.
Family is the central theme throughout, it certainly stands out more in the first part. We also learn about the Parsi/ Iranian culture, the language, the region, etc. Moji’s grandfather is easily my favorite character in the book.
The second part has Moji back in Iran but as a twelve-year-old. Things have changed already which soon becomes a background with her fascination for a teacher taking most of the space. I admit I lost interest as this became a bit too much. It is very common for young students to look up to their favorite teachers and develop a crush irrespective of gender. It’s a special feeling when a teacher you like spends more time with you (we’ve been there). But things here get a bit more uncomfortable at one point. No idea if it is a part of the autobiography part or if it is a fictional exaggeration. The age and power dynamics don’t show things in a good light even if I understand the reason for it.
Moreover, I’m not sure if the afterword is by the author or if it should be read like an epilogue. There’s possibly a two-decade jump, where a lot of changes took place in Iran. We get almost no information about this.
To summarize, The House On Sun Street is a worthy read dealing with some important topics. It is slow-paced with fewer triggers. However, I wish the second part was stronger.
It may not even register for others, but the mention of infidels is a trigger for me. In the name of infidels and kafirs, countless murders (mass genocides) have been justified for centuries and continue to be even today.
Thank you, Edelweiss+ and Blair, for eARC.
No comments:
Post a Comment