A poignant, heartfelt new novel by the award-nominated author of Together Tea–extolled by the Wall Street Journal as a “moving tale of lost love” and by Shelf Awareness as “a powerful, heartbreaking story”–explores loss, reconciliation, and the quirks of fate. Roya, a dreamy, idealistic teenager living amid the political upheaval of 1953 Tehran, finds a literary oasis in kindly Mr. Fakhri’s … finds a literary oasis in kindly Mr. Fakhri’s neighborhood stationery shop, stocked with books and pens and bottles of jewel-colored ink.
Then Mr. Fakhri, with a keen instinct for a budding romance, introduces Roya to his other favorite customer–handsome Bahman, who has a burning passion for justice and a love for Rumi’s poetry–and she loses her heart at once. Their romance blossoms, and the little stationery shop remains their favorite place in all of Tehran.
A few short months later, on the eve of their marriage, Roya agrees to meet Bahman at the town square when violence erupts–a result of the coup d’etat that forever changes their country’s future. In the chaos, Bahman never shows. For weeks, Roya tries desperately to contact him, but her efforts are fruitless. With a sorrowful heart, she moves on–to college in California, to another man, to a life in New England–until, more than sixty years later, an accident of fate leads her back to Bahman and offers her a chance to ask him the questions that have haunted her for more than half a century: Why did you leave? Where did you go? How is it that you were able to forget me?
more
Roya lives in Tehran and loves books, pens and all things related to stationery. She reads whatever she can get her hands on and spends most of her days at the local stationery shop. One fateful day she meets Bahman. It’s an instant and passionate love affair.
They become engaged but Bahman cannot wait for their wedding day. He writes to Roya and tells her to meet him at the square and they will go marry in secret. She waits and waits, and still he doesn’t come.
Decades later, while living in America, Roya happens upon a stationery shop that reminds her of home and Bahman. She quickly learns it is run by his son and also learns that Bahman is close by. She has to know why he left her waiting all those years ago and get the closure she so desperately needs.
What a beautiful story of turmoil, deception, love lost, and the strength of the heart. I really enjoyed the historical background during Roya and Bahman’s courtship. I couldn’t imagine being so stinted in movement simply because you’re a woman.
The love story and the letters were a beautiful addition to the story and I really enjoyed those parts. This is definitely one I would recommend.
This book does what you hope historical fiction will do, transport you to a different place and time, with all the sights and smells and sounds, grip you with a story you can’t put down, and teach you some history you never knew about. I wasn’t especially interested in the 1953 coup in Iran before reading, but now I feel I understand it – and the history of the world at that time – a bit better. The gorgeous love story just made it all the more intriguing. Highly recommend.
I’ve been seeing this book everywhere for a while and I have to admit that the gorgeous cover made it even more enticing. The story—about star-crossed lovers Roya and Bahman—is equally special. Staring in 2017 Massachusetts when Roya and Bahman have found each other again after a five decade separation, the novel then takes us back to 1953 Iran to explore the circumstances that tore them apart. The writing is exquisite, but readable and the sights, smells, sounds and history of Iran enhance the story beautifully. I loved both Roya and Bahman and the way the secondary characters figure into the plot is interesting and unexpected. This would make a great book club read—there’s so much to discuss here.
A young Iranian couple fall in love in the 1950’s during their visits to a stationery shop in Tehran. They become engaged, but are cruelly separated by the young man’s deranged mother.
The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali
Gallery Books
June 18, 2019
Fiction, GoodReads, hardcover
Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this hardcover final book to review from GoodReads Giveaway and publisher in exchange for an unbiased review. I just received this book today, June 24, 2019.
Wow. I need time to formulate an appropriate review of this remarkable, touching story of family, love and resilience.
The story is well-written and organized making it easy to follow he timeline and characters. Those who read my reviews will note that I rarely provide 5 stars anymore as I tend to reserve for books such as this one. It moved me, educated me and piqued my interest in learning more about the historical aspects.
The Stationery Shop begins in 2013, Roya Archer is preparing to visit her first love in the Duxton Senior Center. Roya still needs some resolution of past events when she was left waiting for Bahman Aslan in the square as agreed. She is now 77 years old, living in Massachusetts and married to Walter Archer who has always been a pillar of stability, logic and reason for her since she moved to USA 50 years ago. She was born and raised in Teran with her parents and younger sister, Zari during political turmoil.
I was delighted to read another novel with characters of Middle Eastern decent. The only history of which I learned was mostly from news and media living during the years following substantial political uprising in Iran. I read more information regarding the events in this novel which helped my understanding of the consequential government which ultimately prevailed. Similarly, it was interesting to learn of the United States involvement during this time which coincidentally had been classified information until about 2013. It provides insight into the present day political relations between the two countries. The internet has many articles regarding the declassified documents of the CIA involvement with Iranian Coup to overthrow the country’s prime minister Mohammad Mossadegh.
In 1953, the Democratically elected Iranian prime minister Mohammad Mossadegh governed with many supporters hopeful for the future of Iran. It was about 1930 when Reza Shah advocated women’s rights, allowing in 1930 a “no-veil” policy which allowed women to abandon their hijab. The political atmosphere was filled with tension and fear as many felt the country separate into those whose supported the prime minister and those who agreed that an alliance with communist Russian seemed best. There were many protest rallies from both sides and propaganda being circulated supporting each perspective.
Roya Khanom was a petite 17 year old who wore her long black curly hair in braids while her sister, Zari would wrap newspaper each night to make her hair wavy. Their father worked as a government clerk and Pro-Mossadegh which seemed to be the less favorable political view at the time. Communist propaganda had made its way into the private schools the girls attended contributing to the general discomfort of many.
The Stationery Shop which was across from the school and opposite the Russian Embassy, became a refuge for Roya. She enjoyed reading a variety of authors including Hemingway, Dostoyevsky and Persian writers Rumi, Hafez and Saadi. This shop is owned by Mr. Fakhri who seemed to be a book expert and always attentive to his customers. It was one Tuesday that Roya became aware of Bahman Aslan who always seemed to be in a hurry. He was known as the kid who wanted to change the world. It isn’t long before he notices Roya on his weekly visits and stops to talk with her. Over time, the two would get to know each other and have many discussions in the shop.
Look at love
How it tangles
With the one fallen in love
Look at spirit
How it fuses with earth
Giving it new life
—— Rumi
Bahman and Roya become inseparable and attempt to navigate the traditions and customs of their country as they develop a romantic relationship. It was interesting to read about the preparations for the Persian New Year celebrations. The daily rituals and cuisine were also something with which I was fascinated.
This is a wonderfully crafted love story amidst the chaos of political upheaval in Iran. It tells the story of families and commitments to tradition which ultimately prevail. It also reveals the personal decisions people make and their repercussions over the years. Roya and Bahman eventually attempt to unravel the painful family secrets kept from them. Are they able to resolve the heartbreak that separated them the day before they were to be married 60 years ago? How do they come to terms with the lives they were resigned to forge abandoning their plans for the future?
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2736511165
https://bookwormreviewblog.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-stationery-shop-by-marjan-kamali.html?m=1
Spanning decades and continents, Marjan Kamali’s richly imagined novel immerses us in the blossoming love affair between two Iranian teenagers, set against the political upheaval of 1950s Tehran. Evocative, devastating, and hauntingly beautiful, The Stationary Shop explores love’s power to transcend time and distance — and the ways fate can tear people apart and bring them back together. This book broke my heart again and again.
Star crossed lovers meet in Tehran during the political unrest of the 1950s. They are products of tradition on the cusp of change. The reader gets a taste of the food and the customs particularly those associated with courtship. One sees the characters as people like us with family bonds, expectations, and differences. Parents who have dreams for their children. Siblings who speak their minds. Care-takers for loved ones who are suffering. Divisions within a country. The story spans the entire lives of the lovers as well as the background of others who contribute to their fate. It was a little slow in parts, but overall an enjoyable read with a satisfying ending.
A look at the Middle-East in past time and a feeling of how it is now.
The influence of a written word is undeniable. It is part of the reason we love to read. And how it has the ability to shape our lives cannot be demonstrated any more powerfully than Ms. Kamali’s intertwined stories shared inside the pages of this novel. It might not be in the way we expect it as a reader, but the impact is all the same.
The mix of history and culture wrapped inside and around a set of achingly heartwarming love stories transported me to a different time and place. It is a place that is so very different, but exactly the same as where we exist today. That thought is both soothing and disheartening. How there is a sense of consistency and steadfast belief in the power of love keeps me hopeful. But seeing the same discrimination, prejudice, and societal bias in our world today, after decades of sacrifice and effort, leaves me like Bahman Aslan: wanting to be the boy who helps to change the world.
The characters’ individual stories and how they intertwined with each other (in both the past and present) was poignant in this narrative. It might have been me, but I almost found there was too much going on at times. The tangle of facts, perspectives, and timelines left me focusing on the logistics of what was occurring instead of immersing myself in the emotional draw of the story. And there were certain times throughout the novel where actions occurred abruptly, almost causing me to flip back a page to be sure I didn’t miss something.
But there was still plenty of emotional pull that allowed me to forget I was reading a story and instead imagined myself seeing life through the eyes of a fictional character. This novel and Ms. Kamali’s writing does an admirable job of revealing what it was like to live in Tehran during the 1950s. I found this to be more of a love story with historical fiction worked into it instead of the other way around, which is perfectly okay by me.
If there is one overarching reminder that this story provides, it is this: a single moment in our lives has the power to shape who we become. And the accumulation of those singular moments can be both binding and liberating in ways we might never fully understand as human beings. But in the end, love always wins.
A beautiful, sad and uplifting story.
If I had to describe this book in one word, it’s rich. Rich in culture, character, beauty, pain, history. I felt as if I was with the characters in every scene and wanted to be Roya’s friend or relative.
This story gripped me from the first word. I LOVE that it straddled dual timelines and two countries – Iran and the US. Marjan’s way with words makes me feel speechless in how to express the effect it had on me.
Roya is young and finds love-you-to-the-moon-and-back love. It’s a little Romeo and Juliet-esque. Fifty years later, she has had her highs and lows but the mystery of her youth remains.
I highly recommend reading The Stationery Shop. And when you do, come write my review for me if you love it too.
One of the best novels I’ve read in a while. I absolutely love this book. It’s powerful and reeled me in from the very first page. Marjan Kamali is an exceptional author.
I adored this tender story of young love and coming of age in the politically charged landscape of Iran. Recommend!
The twists and turns in the story grab you in the beginning of the book right up to the end. It is unpredictable and I couldn’t wait to turn the page and get to the next section. The characters are fascinating and how they enter twine with each other isn’t really logical until the end of the book. The setting for this book is Iran and really introduces us to a different culture that we might not be aware of. I wish a glossary had been included at the end so that I can understand some of that Iranian words especially when they’re talking about food that sounds amazingly delicious!
One of the best novels I have ever read. I had the privilege of hearing her discuss this novel at the 2019 Festival of Books in my home town of Morristown, New Jersey. A must read.
What a beautifully written story!
This sweeping saga encompasses over half a century of culture and family, starting in Tehran and ending in New England. Political upheaval, life altering secret loves, betrayal, cross-cultural social norms – this multiple timeline plot is seamlessly pulled together by each character’s narrative.
Their stories wind and twist throughout the novel, then intertwine for a breathtaking conclusion. Both poignant and thrilling, this is an unforgettable read.
I absolutely loved this book! The interwoven stories and historical background were very well developed.
This story takes us first to Iran in the 1953, where Roya and Bahman, both lovers of books, meet in a small stationary shop owned by Mr Fakhri, who loves to introduce his clients to what they are interested in, and even occasionally, playing matchmaker to clients he thinks are right for each other. Here the two fall in love, after meeting weekly and getting to know one another. They both have many dreams for their future, but Iran at this time is in political Turmoil, and their journey is uncertain.
Their families are different, one accepting the other not, and this causes a lot of stress for the couple and later, many questions not answered.
Roya and Bahman, plan on meeting at a certain time and place, to get married, but when Roya goes to their intended meeting spot violence erupts—a result of the coup d’etat that forever changes their country’s future, and Bahman does not show up.
After a long time trying to get in touch with him, Roya finally gives up and she and her sister, do as their father wishes, which is to go to study in the USA, where he hopes they can study hard and have a bit more of a say in the world.
Most of the USA time is in 2013, both sisters now married, but living on opposite coast. Both sisters are happy, but Roya never forgets her first love, Bahman. One day she enters a small stationary shop in a small town near where she lives and finds out, that after 60 some years, her first love, Bahman is not far from her.
The story is beautifully written, and full of twist and turn which will come to light throughout the story. The many characters are well developed, and interesting, with many connections we didn’t know. I definitely recommend this book.
I would like to thank Goodreads Giveaway, for a copy of this book.
I loved this – she writes with such ease and flair you get caught up immediately in the lives of the characters – beautiful story.
This book wrecked me. Up at midnight, bawling into my e-reader as I finished this book. Kamali knows how to ratchet up the emotions. She also knows how to write a beautiful book, full of incredible prose, believable characters and an intricately woven plot that will have you gasping as it unfolds. The story of star-crossed lovers Roya and Bahmin will sit with you for years to come.