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utahmomreads's review against another edition
5.0
Sometimes there are books that just take my breath away. I often find myself reading these rare books more slowly--putting the book down right in the middle of an emotional scene so that I can think about it for awhile before I continue; lingering on a lyrical phrase or an image so real and haunting that I finally have to look away. Books filled with characters so complex and honest that surely they exist in a world beyond the pages of the books. While I'm compelled to reach the ending and gobble every word, I resist sprinting to that final page.
A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea by Dina Nayeri is one of these exceptional books. Saba has only vague memories of the day her mother and twin sister Mahtab flew away to America, leaving Saba behind in Iran with her father. Resisting the post-revolutionary Iran, Saba is obsessed with banned American music, movies and TV. She imagines the life of freedom Mahtab is living in America as she experiences love, heartache and the cruel barbarity of the New Iran.
That description, while technically accurate, seems not enough to invoke the emotion and power within the pages of A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea. The book captures the desires of all women throughout the world, while creating a distinctive and individual character of Saba--uniquely her own, with her own personal struggles. The supporting cast are equally important and well developed--they are people either fighting against or giving-in to their personal destinies while their lives are entangled with Saba's.
A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea could be labeled as a "coming-of-age" story, yet that title alone is not enough to encompass its themes and value. It's a social commentary about the injustices against women. It's a call for each woman to be strong enough to make their own choices and reach their own dreams. In the end, it's a marvelous read about a story-teller named Saba who made her own dream come true.
emmamgregory's review against another edition
3.0
A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea is set in Iran post reveloution and I felt the writer an Iranian immigrant wanted to cram into her novel everything that is wrong with Iran now; sexism, racism, homophobia, women having no rights, poverty etc, as if the reader was totally ignorant of what happens in the Middle East. Having said that I enjoyed Dina Nayeri's writing style and once the scene had been set and the characters formed I raced through the remainder of the book.
rubynajinnah's review against another edition
5.0
What an unexpectedly great book!! Beautifully written - I felt as if I had been transported to Iran. I can't wait to read future novels by Nayeri. Wonderful debut.
mystormingbooks's review against another edition
5.0
This book is so much in touch with the real feelings of immigrants.
The longing for a home it is not longer yours.
The longing to belong and blend while not loosing who you are.
People thinking there's a bias towards "American" stuff is not understanding the deep feelings that one can hold when wanting to leave a place that rejects you somehow.
And on top, it's a book that shows another face of Iran and the Persian history and traditions.
Amazing and touching.
The longing for a home it is not longer yours.
The longing to belong and blend while not loosing who you are.
People thinking there's a bias towards "American" stuff is not understanding the deep feelings that one can hold when wanting to leave a place that rejects you somehow.
And on top, it's a book that shows another face of Iran and the Persian history and traditions.
Amazing and touching.
nick_tucci's review against another edition
5.0
This book had its up and downs but overall it was a magnificent novel! The book was very influential!
annknee's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
rebeccawill's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
kalliegrace's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
5.0
A story that will move you slowly, but stay with you long after it's done. Similar in location and time period to Persephone, and thematically comparable to Etaf Rum's work, this is sad but hopeful. Women in Iran do not have easy lives, but daydreaming creates a world this one can survive in.