The Girl from the Garden: A Novel - Softcover

Foroutan, Parnaz

3.38

1,398 ratings by Goodreads

9780062442864: The Girl from the Garden: A Novel

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0062442864 ISBN 13: 9780062442864

Publisher: Ecco, 2015

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“A powerful and moving novel about the devastating choices women face when their worth is

tied to their wombs but not themselves. Parnaz Foroutan takes the timeless themes of love, honor, sacrifice, and betrayal and makes them new.”—Gloria Steinem

For all his wealth and success, Asher Malacouti—the head of a prosperous Jewish family living in the Iranian town of Kermanshah—cannot have the one thing he desires above all: a son. His young wife, Rakhel, trapped in an oppressive marriage at a time when a woman’s worth is measured by her fertility, is made desperate by her failure to conceive, and grows jealous and vindictive.

Her despair is compounded by the pregnancy of her sister-in-law, Khorsheed, and by her husband’s growing desire for Kokab, his cousin’s wife. Frustrated by his wife’s inability to bear him an heir, Asher makes a fateful choice that will shatter the household and drive Rakhel to dark extremes to save herself and preserve her status within the family.

Witnessed through the memories of the family’s only surviving daughter, Mahboubeh, now an elderly woman living in Los Angeles, The Girl from the Garden unfolds the complex, tragic history of her family in a long-lost Iran of generations past. Haunting, suspenseful, and inspired by events in the author’s own family, it is an evocative and poignant exploration of sacrifice, betrayal, and the indelible legacy of the families that forge us.

One of Booklist’s Top 10 First Novels of 2015

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From the Back Cover:

For all his wealth and success, Asher Malacouti—the head of a Jewish family in the Iranian town of Kermanshah—cannot have the one thing he desires above all: a son. His young wife, Rakhel, trapped in an oppressive marriage at a time when a woman's worth is measured by her fertility, is made desperate by her failure to conceive, and grows jealous and vindictive. Frustrated by his wife's inability to bear him an heir, Asher makes a fateful choice that will shatter the household.

Witnessed through the memories of the family's sole surviving daughter, now an elderly woman living in Los Angeles,The Girl from the Gardenunfolds the complex, tragic history of a family in a long-lost Iran of generations past. Haunting, suspenseful, and inspired by events in the author's own family, it is an evocative and poignant exploration of sacrifice, betrayal, and the indelible legacy of the families that forge us.

About the Author:

Parnaz Foroutan was born in Iran and spent her early childhood there. She received PEN USA's Emerging Voices fellowship for this novel, which was inspired by her own family history. She has been named to the Hedgebrook fellowship and residency, and received funding from the Elizabeth George Foundation, among other institutions. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two daughters.

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