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The Blood of Flowers: A Novel | 
| Author: Anita Amirrezvani
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Category: Book
List Price: $23.99
Buy New: $3.75
You Save: $20.24 (84%)
New (45) Used (35) Collectible (7) from $1.90
Avg. Customer Rating:  55 reviews
Sales Rank: 78998
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 384
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.6
ISBN: 0316065765
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780316065764
ASIN: 0316065765
Publication Date: June 5, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
In 17th-century Persia, a 14-year-old woman believes she will be married within the year. But when her beloved father dies, she and her mother find themselves alone and without a dowry. With nowhere else to go, they are forced to sell the brilliant turquoise rug the young woman has woven to pay for their journey to Isfahan, where they will work as servants for her uncle, a rich rug designer in the court of the legendary Shah Abbas the Great.
Despite her lowly station, the young woman blossoms as a brilliant designer of carpets, a rarity in a craft dominated by men. But while her talent flourishes, her prospects for a happy marriage grow dim. Forced into a secret marriage to
a wealthy man, the young woman finds herself faced with a daunting decision: forsake her own dignity, or risk everything she has in an effort to create a new life.
"Anita Amirrezvani has written a sensuous and transporting first novel filled with the colors, tastes and fragrances of life in seventeenth-century Isfahan...Amirrezvani clearly knows and loves the ways of old Iran, and brings them to life with the cadences of a skilled story-spinner." -- Geraldine Brooks, author of March
"An engrossing, enthralling tale of a girl's quest for self-determination in the fascinating other world that was seventeenth-century Iran." -- Emma Donoghue, author of Touchy Subjects and Life Mask
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| Customer Reviews: Read 50 more reviews...
 Not enough research... October 12, 2008
The author lost credibility for me by page 8 when she used the name "Iran" to describe her country. Persia's name was not changed to Iran until 1935. This book is set in the 17th century.
 Her name is Aziza September 29, 2008
I am currently listening to the audiobook of this novel. I find it mesmerizing, in part because it is voiced by the actress Shohreh Aghdashloo. Her lovely, husky voice imparts warmth and realism to the story that a less gifted reader might not convey.
I am surprised that so many people say the heroine is unnamed. She is called "Aziza." Granted, I also wondered what her name was all through the first section of the audiobook, but then I paid attention and noticed that she is named.
An intricate story, a vivid world, a beautiful voice telling the story. "First there was not, then there was..."
The harsh realities of women's lives in a world where they have only indirect power is shown as clearly as it is in A Thousand Splendid Suns.
 The Blood of Flowers September 26, 2008
This is a gorgeous, well-crafted novel. You will not be able to stop thinking about the courage of the narrator, whose story transcends time. Modern women will identify with the choices she has to make and the consequences of being a person desiring full agency over her life.
Page turner! September 24, 2008
What happens to a girl who's apparently lost all hope? She lost her father, and her home...and more things as the book progresses.
People tell you to be strong; they say it's important to move on...but how?
This book has so much to offer. I would love to give a list, but at the same time I think it's important for the reader to experience these topics on their own. I can say I was mesmerized by the main character. Although all her choices are not the right ones (we all suffer making the wrong choices at times) she learns from her mistakes. She is put in very difficult situations and pulls through.
My opinion of this book is if you love rich stories full of love, heartache, family sagas, growing up, foreign lands...you really will love this.
I purchased this because I loved the following authors: Khaled Hosseini, Lisa See, or Adeline Yen Mah.
I great read. September 11, 2008
I've been brought up to cheer for the underdog. The young, unmarried, nameless, poor Iranian heroine hooked me early. The social structures and mores of the region and period were fascinating as well as their impact on the lives of the characters. We're invited to consider if the will of one small girl will triumph over seemingly insurmountable odds.
I felt the oral story sections detracted from my enjoyment of the book. This is a minor beef.
For those whose passion is social justice, be forewarned. We're taken back in time where the whims of rich men permeate society. Well-structured, developed, and often wonderfully sensitive. I highly recommend this book.
--Jack H. Bender, author of Disregarded: Transforming the School and Workplace through Deep Respect and Courage
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