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The Blood of Flowers: A Novel (Paperback)

by Anita Amirrezvani (Author)

4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

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Product Details

Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Back Bay Books; Reprint edition (May 2 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316065773
ISBN-13: 978-0316065771
Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 13.7 x 2.8 cm
Shipping Weight: 341 g

Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

Amazon.ca Sales Rank: #18,816 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

In Iranian-American Amirrezvani's lushly orchestrated debut, a comet signals misfortune to the remote 17th-century Persian village where the nameless narrator lives modestly but happily with her parents, both of whom expect to see the 14-year-old married within the year. Her fascination with rug making is a pastime they indulge only for the interim, but her father's untimely death prompts the girl to travel with her mother to the city of Isfahan, where the two live as servants in the opulent home of an uncle—a wealthy rug maker to the Shah. The only marriage proposal now in the offing is a three-month renewable contract with the son of a horse trader. Teetering on poverty and shame, the girl weaves fantasies for her temporary husband's pleasure and exchanges tales with her beleaguered mother until, having mastered the art of making and selling carpets under her uncle's tutelage, she undertakes to free her mother and herself. With journalistic clarity, Amirrezvani describes how to make a carpet knot by knot, and then sell it negotiation by negotiation, guiding readers through workshops and bazaars. Sumptuous imagery and a modern sensibility (despite a preponderance of flowery language and schematic female bonding and male bullying) make this a winning debut. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School—This is the tale of a 17th-century Persian village girl who makes her way with her mother to a rich uncle's house in the city of Isfahan. As poor relatives, they are treated as servants. The uncle, a master rug maker for the shah, grudgingly teaches her his trade, his love and respect for her increasing with her perseverance and obvious talent. His greedy wife convinces him to accept a three-month "marriage" contract for the girl with a rich horse trader. She learns how to please her "husband" (and herself) sexually, but also learns that he has no intention of making her his permanent wife as she has no money. She vows to make beautiful rugs on her own, and thus ensure her and her mother's financial security. She is banished from her uncle's house when she tells her friend about the marriage contract. She trusts a foreign merchant with her rug and he steals it. Now she must beg and find shelter and a way to begin a new rug. Like Sheherazade, the heroine's mother is a master storyteller, telling tales within this tale that Amirrezvani tells so magically. Readers will not be able to put this book down, from the once-upon-a-time beginning to the well-crafted end.—Ellen Bell, Amador Valley High School, Pleasanton, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Customer Reviews

3 Reviews

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4.3 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not a great read, Jul 6 2008

By	Misfit (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Blood of Flowers: A Novel (Hardcover)

The Blood of Flowers is the story of a young girl (never named) in 17C Persia whose father dies unexpectedly and left destitute. She and her mother are forced to seek shelter from her uncle, a wealthy rug maker in the city of Isfahan. Despite their status in the household as nothing better than servants the girl shows a talent for rug making and design and with no male heir of his own to succeed in his craft her uncle takes the girl under his tutelage. Enough of the reviews recap the story sufficiently that I don't need to rehash it again, but suffice it to say that a series of bad choices made by the girl lead her and her mother into extreme poverty and to the brink of making the most difficult choice of all.

Apparently the author spent nine years researching and writing this book and those details do show throughout the book, and it's always nice to get an inside look at a lesser known country and it's culture and customs, and most especially the art of rug-making. I really did enjoy this book and had a hard time putting it down whilst reading it, but I felt that the ending was too rushed; another 50-100 pages carrying it to a more successful conclusion would have really rounded it out much better. I also didn't care for the little "short stories" that the author inserted to shed additional light on her story. Frankly, I ended up skipping them and I don't feel I missed anything in doing so. And last, but not least, the behavior of the main character and the selfish choices she made really didn't endear her to me, nor did any other character in the book - I just flat out didn't like anyone but the mother. I'm glad I read it, but it's not a book and characters that are going to stick with me long after I've finished it. Three stars.

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A stunning debut, Jul 25 2007

By	Mary Simmons "simmonsmry" (Wroxeter, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Blood of Flowers: A Novel (Hardcover)

In the blink of an eye, everything can change. One tragic event can send lives spiralling down a staircase full of unknowns.

In her debut novel, Anita Amirrezvani explores this theory through the eyes of a young Iranian woman living in the 17th century. At the age of 14, the unnamed narrator is looking forward to a new chapter in her life. She is expecting to be married before the year is out and her only troubles come from worrying about how her family will raise a sufficient dowry to offer a suitable man.

Then an unexpected tragedy occurs. Her beloved father dies and she and her mother are left alone with no one to protect and provide for them in their village. When her uncle offers his assistance, they have no alternative but to leave their home and travel to the city of Isfahan - a place so unfamiliar it may as well be in a foreign country.

As the novel unfolds, the young woman begins to take lessons from her uncle on the art of rug-making, but some rash decisions put her in a position where she is forced to consent to a form of short-term marriage known as a sigheh, which threatens to ruin her reputation and her future prospects.

Through all of her struggles, impassioned decisions and bold demonstrations of her independence, the young woman has one constant in her life: the art she is compelled to create. "It was as if I were living within the surface of the carpet myself, surrounded by its soothing colors and its images of eternal tranquility. Lost in its beauties, I forgot the misery around me."

But like everything in life, there are two sides to the beautiful craft. The work is physically intense, causing injury and sometimes permanent damage to the women who sacrifice themselves for the sake of a rug. "All our labours were in service of beauty, but sometimes it seemed as if every thread in a carpet had been dipped in the blood of flowers."

Amirrezvani takes us on an intriguing journey into this young woman's experience. She has created a character who represents the countless female artisans who have practised their craft and received little recognition or compensation for the beauty they have created for others at their own expense and labour.
'The Blood of Flowers' is an intricate design, knotted with detail and precision. Every word has its place in the broader story, creating a piece of art that is beautiful and designed to stand the test of time. Transporting us into a past that reveals elements of the present, this novel will continue to delight and mesmerize readers of the future.

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SIPERB NARRATION OF AN EXQUISITE NOVEL, Jul 4 2007

By	Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Blood of Flowers: A Novel (Audio CD)

Gifted Iranian-American actress Shohrreh Aghdasloo narrates this stunning debut novel. Many will remember Ms. Aghdasloo"s remarkable performance in the film House of Sand and Fog for which she received an Academy Award nomination. She is a distinctive actress with like voice - slightly accented, low. It is ageless, what might be called "sandy" in a very appealing way. This is a voice and a reading that draws you in, a Scheherazade voice, if you will. Listeners will find themselves spellbound as she relates the story of a 14-year-old girl in 17th century Iran.

The girl, who remains nameless, narrates her story. She was raised by loving parents and as she was of marriageable age was looking forward to that event. The sudden death of her father dashes those dreams and forces the girl and her mother to go to the city of Isfahan where they depend upon the largesse of relatives.

A rich designer of carpets favored by the shah, her uncle soon notes the girl's ability and her passion for designing carpets. She determines that although this is a male's province she will break into it, thereby securing financial freedom for her mother and herself. It is not an easy task. When someone admires one of her carpets we hear:" I did not reveal that I was the carpet's designer and knotter. I thought if she saw my callused fingers or looked closely at my tired red eyes - if she understood the fearsome work that a carpet demanded - its beauties would be forever tarnished in her eyes. Better for her to imagine it being made by a carefree young girl, who skipped across hillsides plucking flowers for dyes before settling down to tie a few relaxing knots in between sips of pomegranate juice ..."

There are many obstacles in the path she has chosen - a contract marriage, thievery, yet she perseveres against all odds. Throughout this exquisite novel listeners find stories, many traditional, others from the author's imagination, all of which serve to add color to the setting. At heart, it is the story of a courageous young woman and her journey to independence. We're privileged to make that journey with her.

- Gail Cooke

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