Everyone she encounters-from her childhood friend Kamran, to her wealthy school pals Hamlet and Mitra, to those who know the truth about her birth mother-influence her path. Her life is marked by division and strife, but she grows up defiant and strong, wondering where she came from. Young Aria, rescued as an infant by a sensitive army driver but abused by his angry wife, endures early censure and ridicule because of her blue eyes and red hair. Through this girl’s journey, Iranian-born author Nazanine Hozar’s debut novel traces the reign and overthrow of the Shah of Iran through Ayatollah Khomeini’s dramatic return to power. Against this backdrop, a discarded girl with a boy’s name matures in a man’s world.
I bought my copy in lockdown for £12.59 from The Guardian Bookshop, and am happy to recommend their service.įor more book reviews from the team, click here.In 1950s Iran, religious and nationalist fervor can be sparked by last names, loyalties and different appearances. “Aria” is author Nazanine Hozar’s first novel. And how, when everything is changing, it’s most clear that the most important things remain constant. Set against the wonderfully ancient, vibrant city of Tehran, this is a story about love, and its absence. It’s through the women’s stories that the bigger picture unfolds. Mysterious Mehri, aloof somehow, and detached.Īria herself. all hidden from his father, who pushes him into marriage.įurious Zahra, whose rage seems undimmed with the passing of the years. Like gentle, motherless Behrouz, singing in secret as a child and playing pretend with dolls. Hozar draws each character with such empathy. It’s full of human drama, played out against a tumultuous background of political turmoil. The book is split into four sections - one for each of Aria’s mother figures, Zahra, Fereshteh and Mehri, and one for Aria as she herself embraces motherhood. After Zahra neglects the child to the point of cruelty, a new home is found for her.įrom here on in, Fereshteh brings Aria up, sending her to school and encouraging her to visit the home of Mehri, a less fortunate soul with a young family.
The only light in the darkness at this point is the kindness of Behrouz and of Kamran, a neighbour who leaves bracelets for Aria to find. Sadly she proves to be abusive - even locking the little girl outside. all the world’s pains, and all the world’s loves”.īehrouz entrusts Aria’s care to his wife, Zahra. The story begins one night as a baby is born and then abandoned.īehrouz, a kindly driver, finds the baby and names her Aria - for the “little tales, cries in the night. Set in the Iranian capital, Tehran, Nazanine Hozar’s “Aria” begins in 1953, and closes in the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Sign up to our Weekly newsletter Subscribe to our magazine for more great content
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