Description
*SHORTLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE 2020*
*LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD 2020*
"If ever there was a book that needs to be read more than once, this is it."-ArtsHub
"A book that keeps on giving."-Brona's Books
"Extraordinary."-The Irish Times
"Compelling, delightful and powerful."-David's Book World
A family story about the unbreakable connection between the living and the dead
Set in Iran in the decade following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, this moving, richly imagined novel is narrated by the ghost of Bahar, a thirteen-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 and its people. Bahar's mother, after a tragic loss, will embark on a long, eventful journey in search of meaning.
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.
"Not only richly imaginative but also emotionally powerful." - 1st Reading's Blog
"Her novel ... embodies Iranian life in a state of constant "oscillation", bringing into play "opposing poles" - like life and death, religion and politics ... - to evoke the extent of damage by an oppressive political regime." - The Indian Express
About the Author
Shokoofeh Azar moved to Australia as a political refugee in 2011. She is the author of essays, articles, and children's books, and is the first Iranian woman to hitchhike the entire length of the Silk Road. The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree, originally written in Farsi, was shortlisted for Australia's Stella Prize for Fiction and is her first novel to be translated into English.
Reviews
"A fiercely clever book." * The New Statesman *
"A Farsi Isabel Allende." * The Guardian *
"It takes a special writer - and Azar is one such - to avoid faltering when the harshest experiences are interlaced with scenes of fantastical interventions in the routine experiences of the characters. The lives created within this novel and the conditions to which they must adapt, lead to extraordinary scenes." * The Irish Times *
"A sumptuous meditation on the practice of interpretation." * Asymptote Journal *
"A mesmerizing and richly textured novel about Iranian history post Islamic Revolution. A sublime tale about how a nation's past defines its national and personal narratives, written by one of Iran's rising literary talents." * BookRiot *
"If ever there was a book that needs to be read more than once, this is it." * ArtsHub *
"[Azar's] book is a great journey. It moves places and it moves us as readers, in an emotional and intellectual sense." * The Los Angeles Review of Books *
"The plot is intricate...the writing is ravishing: shimmeringly poetic...so mesmerizing is the storytelling." * The Weekend Australian *
"Azar delves deep into the mythological spirit realm and pre-Islamic Zoroastrian religion of ancient Persia . . . [taking] us into breathtaking worlds of imagination and allegory . . . Astonishing." * Backstory *
Awards
Short-listed for Stella Prize 2018 (Australia) and Queensland University Fiction Award 2018 (Australia).
Book Information
ISBN 9781787703100
Author Shokoofeh Azar
Format Paperback
Page Count 272
Imprint Europa Editions (UK) Ltd
Publisher Europa Editions (UK) Ltd
