I love taking a gamble on debut novels. VEIL OF ROSES is Laura Fitzgerald’s first offering and I think that we may hear from her again.
Tamila Soroush has been living in the Islamic Republic of Iran. She is a teacher of young girls and wants them to dream of freedoms that they will probably never have. She knows that her parents had lived in the United States when she was a very small child, but for some reason the family, Tamila, her mother, father, and older sister, had returned to Iran. She has had to give up her personal dreams and prepare to marry the man chosen for her.
On Tamila’s twenty-seventh birthday, her parents give her the gift of a ticket to America. She vows never to return to Iran, but her visa is only good for three months and in order to stay, she must marry a citizen of the United States.
Her introduction to all things American is mixed with humor and the realization of how much we take for granted in our country. Tami is lucky that she has a sister who helps her to meet perspective grooms, friends in her English-as-a-second language class, and the sympathy and support of her brother-in-law.
The story is fairly predictable and some of the characters slightly stereotypical, but it is told with so much feeling that you get caught up in it. I wonder how I would react to my first Victoria’s Secret visit. (Tami felt that what Victoria had was not being kept much of a secret.)
The contrast of life in Iran, especially for women, and our life in the United States makes this a fascinating read. Tami’s fear of the police and her confusion about free samples are such small things to us but are truly real to someone who has lived in the confines of a repressive state.
I recommend it highly for women’s book groups. It should open doors to all types of discussion. We hope to see more by Ms. Fitzgerald.
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