The Blood of Flowers

I have a top shelf which I reserve for very special books that are to be kept, recommended, possibly reread, and only loaned to completely trustworthy friends. It is rare that I place a book there - on average one a year. The Blood of Flowers - my latest favorute - has taken its place on this top shelf.

Set in seventeenth-century Persia and narrated by an eighteen-year-old girl, "Blood of Flowers" would appear to have all the earmarks of a slow-moving period piece geared for an audience of women. Not so. This first novel turns out to be a work of art, every bit as dazzling as the Persian rugs designed and knotted by its unnamed heroine. The story begins with the appearance of an ominous comet in the skies, portending a year of ill fortune for our narrator, who is due to be married in the coming months. Sure enough, her father suddenly dies, leaving the girl and her mother without the dowry required to attract a worthy suitor. Facing poverty, mother and daughter take up residence as servants in the household of an uncle who makes Persian rugs on commission for wealthy patrons. A self-taught village rug-maker herself, the girl wins her uncle's confidence, becoming an apprentice of sorts and learning the intricacies required to fashion city carpets of the highest quality. But when she's forced to accept a three-month marriage contract to a wealthy horse trader, whose interest is hedonistic and short-term, the girl is caught in an untenable situation in which her family's financial security and her self-respect come into violent conflict. As she matures from a headstrong young girl to a pragmatic woman with a feminist bent, our heroine struggles to defy the odds and forge a future for herself and her mother in this male-dominated society. It's a tribute to the author's methodical research, rich descriptive detail and knack for the cadence of good storytelling that this reader found himself completely transported into the novel's exotic world. Like the rugs for which Persia is famous, the structure of "Blood of Flowers" brings together its motifs in a simple but timelessly-elegant manner. If you enjoy novels like the "Kite Runner," you'll love this book.

In a time and place where women were considered property, the narrator shows amazing courage and determination. The author provides such vivid detail in a way that does not interupt the flow of the story. This is the best book that I have read in a long time, and to be the author's first novel is outstanding!

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.