The Blood of Flowers

Anita Amirrezvani
Little, Brown, and Company (2007)
ISBN 0316065765
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (5/07)

Persia in the early 1600’s was a man’s world; women had no rights, they were property first of their father and then their husband.  This is the story of how one young woman survived in a male-dominated world. 

It all began with a comet streaking through the sky.  The most learned man in the village read the almanac of the chief astronomer.  He predicted that the enemies would have a plague and many diseases.  He told of earthquakes in the south and battles that would turn the sea red with blood.  The worst prediction was of immoral behavior and marriages filled with strife.  “Those contracted later this year will be full of passion and strife.”

The narrator is a 14-year old girl expecting to marry within the next year.  The name of the narrator is never used.  She is fascinated with rug making, a craft dominated by men.  When her father dies unexpectedly, all of her prospects of a good marriage are gone. The girl and her mother are forced to travel to Isfahan where her uncle offers to take them in. Her aunt resentfully agrees.  Her aunt is cruel but her uncle, an expert at making carpets, indulges her interest in rug making   He comes to respect her abilities and tutors her in the industry. The narrator is forced in to a three-month renewable marriage contract with a rich horse trader.  She tells fascinating stories to entertain him and learns to please him sexually. The man does not want her for a wife because she has no money.  When word of the secret contract is made public the girl and her mother are forced to leave her uncle’s protection.  The girl knows that if she is to survive in this world she must become not only an expert rug maker but learn to sell and negotiate.

“Blood of Flowers” by Anita Amirrezvani uses words to vividly paint a picture of 17th century Iran.  The plot moves at a fast pace and draws the readers in.  I could not lay this book down.  This book has it all -- a wicked aunt, a kind uncle, and a loving but poverty-stricken mother.  The cover is beautifully done, hinting at a sensuous plot.  The narrator, while never named, comes to life on the pages of this magnificent piece of art. I felt that while this novel is considered fiction it also hints at history and could be based on a true story.   I highly recommend “Blood of Flowers” to fans of fiction and history. 

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