The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree: SHORTLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE 2020
A poignant exploration of family, loss, and resilience
Shokoofeh Azar author Anonymous translator
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Europa Editions (UK) Ltd
Published:11th Mar '21
Should be back in stock very soon
In a post-revolutionary Iran, a young girl's spirit narrates her family's quest for safety and meaning in The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree.
Set against the backdrop of Iran's tumultuous post-revolutionary landscape, The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree tells the poignant story of Bahar, a thirteen-year-old girl whose spirit narrates her family's struggles. After fleeing Tehran in search of safety and freedom, Bahar's family grapples with the chaos and loss that accompany their new life in a small village. The narrative unfolds through Bahar's perspective, capturing the heartache of separation and the longing for connection, both with the living and the deceased.
The novel explores profound themes of trauma, resilience, and the power of storytelling as a means of understanding and coping with suffering. Bahar's mother, in particular, embarks on a transformative journey filled with challenges, driven by a desire to find meaning in the face of tragedy. Through rich imagery and evocative prose, the author highlights the beauty of Iranian culture while also confronting the harsh realities imposed by an oppressive regime.
The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree is not just a tale of loss; it is a celebration of imagination and the human spirit's capacity to endure. With each character brought to life, the story resonates with the universal struggle to find hope amidst despair, illustrating how the bonds between the living and the dead can shape our understanding of the world and ourselves.
“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 *
- Short-listed for Stella Prize 2018 (Australia)
- Short-listed for Queensland University Fiction Award 2018 (Australia)
ISBN: 9781787703100
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
272 pages