Pomegranate Soup: A Novel [Hardcover]

I read "Pomegranate Soup," by Marsha Mehran, and found it far deeper and wider than I ever expected given the youth and beauty of the lady pictured on the fly-leaf. As I closed the cover, I had to wonder: "How is it that she still looks like a baby, as if nothing has ever hurt her?" Marsha writes of a little family of three sisters, Iranian ex-pats who land in the west of Ireland, find it pleasing, and open an ethnic restaurant.

From the kitchen, they practice their exotic culinary skills and spy the true nature and spirit of the place, the scent of the air, the curious customs and peccadilloes of the people, and from this haven crafted a story that could amuse and even satisfy, but is not quite as simple as it looks at the start. In telling us her own story, which is cleverly entwined with the exotic and remarkable cuisine of her homeland, she reveals herself to be a gifted writer, an astute observer of human nature, and an authentic participant in living history with a little more family history than immediately meets the eye. And then there is another thing, something else, a dark underside, a secret, the truth of the sisters' exodus from their homeland.

"Pomegranate Soup" at times reads a little like "Ballykissangel," (Dervla Quigley?) but which is no harm. The little threads of pop culture help define time and place, and if the author has borrowed a little to help plump up the prose and fill in the gaps, well, it's no harm and indeed makes the story quite accessible. The impressions of Ireland and the Irish nature accrued by Ms. Mehran are truthful and fearless, and often seem quite innocent, especially when contrasted to the private sorrow that the sisters share. There's very little time in this story for television watching, but still there are some small signals that indeed Marsha is fond of "Ballykiss" and which radio station she listened to (Mid-West Irish Radio, which indeed can be reached over the Internet at www.midwestirishradio.com), and this has made "Pomegranate Soup" more endearing if anything. And then, there's mention of a little bridge in Dublin that I know I have crossed more than once.

"Pomegranate Soup" is a cookbook of life. In it you will find huge love and huge courage, which when heated and stirred make a unique and remarkable story well worth reading. The recipes are all authentic, and purely Persian, truly exotic and delicious fare for the west of Ireland, and then, exactly the right thing, because if there's one thing that's very clear in reading "Pomegranate Soup," it's on how many points the sisters and their new neighbors share the same heart and tastes. As for the secrets, well, you must read about them for yourselves. I trust myself with secrets.

As with all first novels, comparisons to previously published works are sure to be made. Some reviewers view this novel as an Iranian version of Chocolat ( which is a fair enough assessment) since both books celebrate the pleasure and magical qualities of food.

The year is 1980 and the three Aminpour sisters, have escaped Iran's revolution and settled in a small Irish village intent on opening a business and building a new life. With her savory recipes and personable characters, Mehran cooks up an intoxicating concoction that transports the reader back in time to an Ireland that has not yet been urbanized. She manages to capture the simple wisdom of free spirited, nurturing and tolerant women unknowingly drawn into conflict with an egotistical, overbearing, repressive man. It is a novel of opposites.....good versus evil, sour versus sweet, cold versus hot, acceptance versus rejection.

In addition, the author shares eleven treasured recipes and intertwines them into this tale of family, friends and food. You might say that this is the original "fusion cuisine".

For many years, Papa's Pastries shop provided the citizens of Ballinacroagh, Ireland with the tantalizing scents of freshly baked breads and sweets. When Papa Delmonico passed away, his wife, Estelle, unable to manage the shop alone with her arthritis, closed its doors and retreated to her home at the edge of town. The shop remained empty for many years. The paint faded and chipped. The plastic cloths melted into the table tops. Dust gathered on the floor and the windows grew dim from disinterest.

The Aminpour sisters were forced to leave their native Iran and need to make a new life for themselves. The oldest sister, Marjan, turns to what she knows best-cooking-and decides to open an Iranian Café. Fate and family connections bring them to Ballinacroaugh, a town that sits at the base of the mountain where St. Patrick prayed, fasted and blessed the people of Ireland. Traditions run strong and deep in Ballinacroagh. When this trio of mysterious dark skinned women drive into town in an old hippie bus and re-open the former Pastry shop as the Babylon Café, tongues start wagging.

Marsha Mehran's debut novel is astonishing for a new writer. She delivers the thoughts, motives and emotions of her characters with the crisp pungency of a Middle Eastern bazaar. I can't remember when I last felt compelled to read a book in a single sitting, but I absolutely could not put it down. I vow that I will rush to get on the waiting list for the next book by this talented author.

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