The Pomegranate Lady and Her Sons: Selected Stories - Softcover

Taraghi, Goli

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0393350231 ISBN 13: 9780393350234

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, 2014

Synopsis

“Carries the flavor of the old world, its underlying ferocity leavened by a lyrical mysticism. . . . Her prose is transcendent.”―Washington Post

Rich in characters both whimsical and deeply poignant, humorous and real, the stories of Goli Taraghi have made her one of the world’s most beloved contemporary writers from Iran. A best-selling author in her native country and widely anthologized in the United States and around the world, Taraghi's work is now made fully accessible to an English-speaking audience in this standout and long-awaited volume of selected stories, selected as a Best Book of 2013 by staff and critics at National Public Radio.

Drawing on childhood experiences in Tehran during the reign of the Shah, her exile in Paris, and her subsequent visits to Tehran after the revolution, Taraghi develops characters and tales that linger in one’s mind. In the title story, a woman traveling from Tehran to Paris is obliged to help an old woman―the Pomegranate Lady―find her way to her fugitive sons in Sweden. In "The Gentleman Thief," a new kind of polite, apologetic thief emerges from the wreckage of the revolution. In "Encounter," a woman's world is upended when her former maid becomes her jailer. And in "The Flowers of Shiraz," a group of teenagers finally manages to coax a shy schoolmate out of her shell―only to once again encounter tragedy.

Reminiscent of the work of Nadine Gordimer and Eudora Welty, Taraghi's stories capture universal experiences of love, loss, alienation, and belonging―all with an irresistible sense of life’s absurdities.

About this title

About the Author

Goli Taraghi was born in Tehran in 1939. She has been honored as a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in France, and her work has been widely anthologized, including in Reza Aslan’s Tablet and Pen. She lives in Paris.

Review

“Koenig not only understands the building blocks of social development but is able to give a highly informative overview. . . . [W]ould be a great supplemental text to a course of developmental disabilities at the graduate or upper level undergraduate level.”
- Azar Nafisi

“Readers of this book now have a new tool to add to their arsenal. . . . [T]his resource guide is easy to read, practical, and contains a wealth of information for practitioners, educators and the general public. Anyone who is interested in developing social skills programming for individuals with ASD should invest in this book.”
- Richard Bausch

“This book is a must-read for anyone engaged in clinical interventions for social skills in autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders. Koenig provides beautiful case descriptions and thorough, insightful analyses of how and when social skill interventions work. Her approach is developmentally grounded, a must for any comprehensive understanding of these disorders.”
- Joan Silber

“A seasoned clinician, Koenig knows of what she speaks, designing detailed, individualized, and practical social interventions that result in meaningful and lasting change in individuals with ASDs. This book is essential for like-minded clinicians, professionals, and parents willing to collaborate for the benefit of children.”
- Booklist

“Koenig promotes each child's success and determination, and will settle for no less than real-life gains. Her book brings the magic of social skills training to all of us, in practical and cogent terms.”
- Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

“Taraghi carves out space for mysterious forces ... in her stories.”
- Mythili Rao, The Daily Beast

Edition details

• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0393350231
• ISBN 13: 9780393350234
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320