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The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree

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The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree

By: Shokoofeh Azar
Narrated by: Priya Ayyar
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Set in Iran in the decade following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, this moving, richly imagined novel is narrated by the ghost of Bahar, a 13-year-old girl, whose family is compelled to flee their home in Tehran for a new life in a small village, hoping in this way to preserve both their intellectual freedom and their lives. But they soon find themselves caught up in the post-revolutionary chaos that sweeps across their ancient land. Bahar's mother, after a tragic loss, embarks on a long, eventful journey in search of meaning in a world swept up in the post-revolutionary madness.

Told from the wise yet innocent gaze of a young girl, The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree speaks of the power of imagination when confronted with cruelty and of our human need to make sense of trauma through the ritual of storytelling itself. Through her unforgettable characters, Azar weaves a timely and timeless story that juxtaposes the beauty of an ancient, vibrant culture with the brutality of an oppressive political regime.

Shortlisted for The Stella Prize 2018

Shortlisted for The University of Queensland Fiction Book Award 2018

Shortlisted for The International Booker Prize 2020

Longlisted for The National Book Award for Translated Literature 2020

©2017 Shokoofeh Azar (P)2020 Dreamscape Media, LLC Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Islamic Heritage Literary Fiction Magical Realism World Literature Magic Iran Middle East
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I loved how the writer mixed harsh facts with the mystical world. Although, a lot of the mystical bits may require a background knowledge which I didn’t have. I fluctuated from getting sucked into chapters or distracted. 7/10
Definitely not a book to rush through as sentences were long, and the timeline was somewhat lose. If your goal is to learn in depth about Iranian history post and pre Islamic revolution, this book may not be the right choice.
If you wanna read a novel that triggers some curiosity about it, then this book may be a good idea!

Either enjoy !


Well written but loaded with mystical

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I loved this poignant story of love, loss , culture and history set in Iran.

Mystical folklore

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Left hankering for more insight into culture, politics, lives which sadly comprises 10% of the text. What there was of this was well told but the constant ventures into seemingly arbitrary fairy tale was just monotonous, colourless and repetitive.

Too much magical realism

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