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Caspian Rain
In the decade before the Islamic Revolution, Iran is a country at the brink of explosion. Twelve-year-old Yaas is born in Tehran, into an already divided family: Her father is the son of wealthy Iranian Jews who are integrated into the country’s upper-class, mostly Muslim, elite; her mother was raised in the slums of South Tehran, one street away from the old Jewish ghetto. Yaas spends her childhood navigating the many layers of Iranian society. Her task, already difficult because of the disparity in her parents’ worldview, becomes all the more critical when her father falls in love with a beautiful woman from a noble Muslim family. As her parents’ marriage begins to crumble, and the country moves ever closer to revolution, Yaas is plagued by a mysterious, terrifying illness. But despite her ailment, when she learns that her father is about to abandon her and her mother—to immigrate to America with his mistress—Yaas is determined to save herself and her family. At once a cultural exploration of an as-yet unfamiliar society, and a psychological study of the effects of loss, Caspian Rain takes the reader inside the tragic and fascinating world of a brave young girl struggling against impossible odds.
290 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
31 people are currently reading
860 people want to read
About the author
Gina B. Nahai
15 books96 followersGina B. Nahai is a best-selling author, and a professor of Creative Writing at USC. Her novels have been translated into 18 languages, and have been selected as “One of the Best Books of the Year” by the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune. They have been finalists for the Orange Award, the IMPAC Award, and the Harold J. Ribalow Award. She is the winner of the Los Angeles Arts Council Award, the Persian Heritage Foundation’s Award, the Simon Rockower Award, and the Phi Kappa Phi Award. Her writings have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Magazine, and Huffington Post. She writes a monthly column for the The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, for which she has been twice a finalist for an L.A. Press Club award.
Nahai’s first novel, Cry of the Peacock (Crown, 1992) told, for the first time in any Western language, the 3,000-year story of the Jewish people of Iran. It won the Los Angeles Arts Council Award for Fiction. Her second novel, Moonlight on the Avenue of Faith (Harcourt, 1999), was a finalist for the Orange Prize in England, the IMPAC award in Dublin, and the Harold J. Ribalow Award in the United States. A #1 L.A. Times bestseller, it was named as “One of the Best Books of the Year” by the Los Angeles Times. Her third novel, Sunday’s Silence (Harcourt, 2001), was also an L.A. Times bestseller and a “Best Book of the Year.” Her fourth novel, Caspian Rain was published in September ‘07, was also an L.A. Times bestseller, was named “One of the Best Books of the Year” by the Chicago Tribune, and won the Persian Heritage Foundation’s Award.
Nahai is a frequent lecturer on the contemporary politics of the Middle East, has been a guest on PBS, CNBC, as well as a number of local television and radio news programs, and has guest-hosted on NPR affiliate KCRW (The Politics of Culture). A judge for the Los Angeles Times Book Awards (Fiction, First Fiction), she has lectured at a number of conferences nationwide, and served on the boards of PEN Center USA West, The International Women’s Media Foundation, and B’nai Zion Western Region.
Nahai holds a BA and a Master’s degree in International Relations from UCLA, and an MFA in Creative Writing from USC. She lives in Los Angeles, where she’s at work on a new novel.
Nahai’s first novel, Cry of the Peacock (Crown, 1992) told, for the first time in any Western language, the 3,000-year story of the Jewish people of Iran. It won the Los Angeles Arts Council Award for Fiction. Her second novel, Moonlight on the Avenue of Faith (Harcourt, 1999), was a finalist for the Orange Prize in England, the IMPAC award in Dublin, and the Harold J. Ribalow Award in the United States. A #1 L.A. Times bestseller, it was named as “One of the Best Books of the Year” by the Los Angeles Times. Her third novel, Sunday’s Silence (Harcourt, 2001), was also an L.A. Times bestseller and a “Best Book of the Year.” Her fourth novel, Caspian Rain was published in September ‘07, was also an L.A. Times bestseller, was named “One of the Best Books of the Year” by the Chicago Tribune, and won the Persian Heritage Foundation’s Award.
Nahai is a frequent lecturer on the contemporary politics of the Middle East, has been a guest on PBS, CNBC, as well as a number of local television and radio news programs, and has guest-hosted on NPR affiliate KCRW (The Politics of Culture). A judge for the Los Angeles Times Book Awards (Fiction, First Fiction), she has lectured at a number of conferences nationwide, and served on the boards of PEN Center USA West, The International Women’s Media Foundation, and B’nai Zion Western Region.
Nahai holds a BA and a Master’s degree in International Relations from UCLA, and an MFA in Creative Writing from USC. She lives in Los Angeles, where she’s at work on a new novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
October 30, 2021
From the moment you open the book, you are immediately aware that the writing is beautiful and engaging. I was actually blown away by the writing. But the book itself isn't beautiful. Its hard content wise. There is a lot of tragedy and loss. Complicated characters within a complicated culture and time. That part wasn't easy.
The plot surrounds Jewish families living in Tehran Iran. Particularly one girls experience of her family. The cultural element however was a sub-motif in the book. Really, it's our main character's story. It's a hard heavy story, and one is not left with redemption, rather sadness. But the writing however, there is something exquisite about it.
The plot surrounds Jewish families living in Tehran Iran. Particularly one girls experience of her family. The cultural element however was a sub-motif in the book. Really, it's our main character's story. It's a hard heavy story, and one is not left with redemption, rather sadness. But the writing however, there is something exquisite about it.
February 7, 2017
In the years leading up to the Islamic Revolution in Iran there are two classes of Jews. One is the group that left the ghettos when the Shah opened them up. This group became affluent members of the community and considered themselves Iranian first and Jewish second. The second group did not have the means to leave and thus remain among the poorest of society but ardently religious. Bahar is a vivacious young teenager from the ghetto sect. The narrator describes her: “The girl on the street – her name is Bahar –would not stand out in any crowd. She’s not particularly beautiful, or smart, or endowed with exceptional wit, but she has a zest for life and irrational optimism that is alarming because it is so out of sync with reality that surrounds her.” Omid is from the affluent sect. One day, after basically being left at the altar by a fiancé selected by his overbearing parents, he sees Bahar on the street while riding in the backseat of his chauffeur – driven car. He decides to approach his parents about pursuing her for his wife not because he’s attracted to her or thinks she’d make a good wife and companion, but “because he wanted a wife, maybe a child or two – so he would fulfill whatever his role was supposed to be as a husband, and so he would, once and for all, settle the matter of his domestic life and know that he’ll never be challenged, or disturbed, or called upon to be a part of a “couple”. At his proposal, against warnings from her parents of what she was signing up for, Bahra accepts. She thinks this is her ticket out of the ghetto and a path to pursue her educational dreams.
Omid is a weakling, disrespected by his father. As a result, he is emotionally bankrupt. “He deals with the living the way Americans do the dead: elegantly and with grace, but without excessive emotionality.” However, days before his marriage he crosses paths with a beautiful, rich, Muslim woman. He’s immediately captivated and becomes obsessive. He tracks her down and begins what will become a long-term affair. The effects on Bahar are devastating as she realizes not only will she not be permitted to pursue her dreams, but her life will be devoid of any affection or care. “I’ve thought about this for a long time – how my father gave so little of himself to Bahar, who needed him so much, and gave so much to a woman who could easily have done without him. I think there was something in the way Bahar depended on him, the way she waited year after year for him to come back, that made him want to leave. I think his indifference, his cruelty, were products of Bahar’s weakness. It isn’t what she had wanted to become; it’s what he force her into. But he resents her for it all the same.”
A daughter is eventually born and Bahar transfers all of her hopes and aspirations onto Yaas. Eventually it becomes evident that something is wrong with Yaas, and it adds to the already established family tension, leading to a tragic end. “I think now it was this rage – my mother’s inability to prevail over the forces she had once believed surmountable, the shame she felt for not having fought back at first, and later not fighting enough – I think it was this rage that made her unable to accept my limitations, to accept me with those limitations. I think it was her sadness at having sold herself for a wish, her dreams that rose like shins in the night, lit up and glorious against the reality of what she would be able to attain – I think it was those dreams that, in the end, kept us apart.”
WOW! WOW! WOW!
I haven't had a book speak to me like this since The Fault in Our Stars While The Fault resembled my actual experiences this one could have easily been what my life could have been like and is probably similar to my own mother's experience. I relate so well to the young Bahar and the way Nahai shows the evolution of Bahar's character is nothing short of brilliant and heartbreaking. Omid's role in her devolution is gut-wrenching. Had he put as much effort into her as he did his lover two lives would have turned out very differently. Omid doesn’t appreciate the vivaciousness he has in Bahar – “She’s innocent and sincere – yes, willing to help anywhere she can, to forgive a snub and respond with kindness because that’s what people do when they’re from the ghetto or barely out of it; they expect to be snubbed – and this may be a quality that would be forgiven in another time and place, but among Tehran’s new elite, who have forgotten their own ghetto past too well, it only provokes condescension.” Or, geez, leave her alone. She'd been better off staying in the ghetto.
You will notice I use a lot of quotes. I just didn't feel like I could convey the sentiment better than Nahai and I think her style of writing is one of the attractions of the book. I LOVED her writing style. It's been a while since I've been so drawn to an author's style. I definitely want to look at some of her other work.
One word of caution. I added this to my TBR a long time ago. I kept putting it off because I kept seeing references to magical realism. With a few exceptions, I'm not a fan of this genre. There is a small amount of that here but it is a ghost story and the subplot is important to Yaas' situation. I mention this because I HIGHLY recommend this book but don't want to mislead people who have strong feelings about magical realism.
It is hard to imagine this won't make my top ten this year.
Omid is a weakling, disrespected by his father. As a result, he is emotionally bankrupt. “He deals with the living the way Americans do the dead: elegantly and with grace, but without excessive emotionality.” However, days before his marriage he crosses paths with a beautiful, rich, Muslim woman. He’s immediately captivated and becomes obsessive. He tracks her down and begins what will become a long-term affair. The effects on Bahar are devastating as she realizes not only will she not be permitted to pursue her dreams, but her life will be devoid of any affection or care. “I’ve thought about this for a long time – how my father gave so little of himself to Bahar, who needed him so much, and gave so much to a woman who could easily have done without him. I think there was something in the way Bahar depended on him, the way she waited year after year for him to come back, that made him want to leave. I think his indifference, his cruelty, were products of Bahar’s weakness. It isn’t what she had wanted to become; it’s what he force her into. But he resents her for it all the same.”
A daughter is eventually born and Bahar transfers all of her hopes and aspirations onto Yaas. Eventually it becomes evident that something is wrong with Yaas, and it adds to the already established family tension, leading to a tragic end. “I think now it was this rage – my mother’s inability to prevail over the forces she had once believed surmountable, the shame she felt for not having fought back at first, and later not fighting enough – I think it was this rage that made her unable to accept my limitations, to accept me with those limitations. I think it was her sadness at having sold herself for a wish, her dreams that rose like shins in the night, lit up and glorious against the reality of what she would be able to attain – I think it was those dreams that, in the end, kept us apart.”
WOW! WOW! WOW!
I haven't had a book speak to me like this since The Fault in Our Stars While The Fault resembled my actual experiences this one could have easily been what my life could have been like and is probably similar to my own mother's experience. I relate so well to the young Bahar and the way Nahai shows the evolution of Bahar's character is nothing short of brilliant and heartbreaking. Omid's role in her devolution is gut-wrenching. Had he put as much effort into her as he did his lover two lives would have turned out very differently. Omid doesn’t appreciate the vivaciousness he has in Bahar – “She’s innocent and sincere – yes, willing to help anywhere she can, to forgive a snub and respond with kindness because that’s what people do when they’re from the ghetto or barely out of it; they expect to be snubbed – and this may be a quality that would be forgiven in another time and place, but among Tehran’s new elite, who have forgotten their own ghetto past too well, it only provokes condescension.” Or, geez, leave her alone. She'd been better off staying in the ghetto.
You will notice I use a lot of quotes. I just didn't feel like I could convey the sentiment better than Nahai and I think her style of writing is one of the attractions of the book. I LOVED her writing style. It's been a while since I've been so drawn to an author's style. I definitely want to look at some of her other work.
One word of caution. I added this to my TBR a long time ago. I kept putting it off because I kept seeing references to magical realism. With a few exceptions, I'm not a fan of this genre. There is a small amount of that here but it is a ghost story and the subplot is important to Yaas' situation. I mention this because I HIGHLY recommend this book but don't want to mislead people who have strong feelings about magical realism.
It is hard to imagine this won't make my top ten this year.
February 17, 2011
I chose this book because it is about a deaf child. When I first started reading the book, I assumed that a whole chunk would be about the struggles of the deaf child especially in Iran, but the book chose to talk about the affair the most. I feel there wasn’t much depth to the characters in the book, and the overarching theme of loss was very unrealistic. I felt that each character made its own deep hole and wanted to blame someone else. The young girl, named Yaaz wasn’t born deaf. Her mother did not like her much because she wanted a boy. For most of the book, Bahar hated Yaaz, which I found annoying. I felt that her mother should have loved Yaaz and realized early on that Yaaz is all she has.
When the teacher finally tells Bahar something is wrong with Yaaz, Bahar refuses to get her help. She thinks Yaaz is lazy and not trying hard enough in school. She consistently tells Yaaz she is a failure and she needs to try harder. Finally when the teacher calls them in for a conference, Omid tells Bahar he has to take her to the doctor and get her help. The doctor tells Bahar that Yaaz is losing her hearing and needs hearing aides. If she doesn’t get help now it will only get worse. Bahar starts yelling at the doctor and tells him she won’t put a mark on her child and leaves the office. She refuses to acknowledge it.
In this book there was a lack of sympathy with Yaaz and that irritated me. I really felt that people in Iran should be more open- minded to deaf children. I think they should realize that it’s not her fault that she was born deaf and try to get her as much help as possible. It was really unfair to watch Yaaz’s hearing get worse and worse. No one was willing to help her and this was heartbreaking. I felt that if Yaaz was in America she probably would have gotten treatment for her condition and maybe her hearing would have took more time to be completely lost. Yaaz lost her whole hearing by age 12 and I felt that maybe if her mom let her get hearing aides right away then she would have been fine.
I know in the Middle East and south Asia there is a lot of stigma attached to disabilities. People tend to hide these disabilities because they know no one will want to marry into that family if one person is disabled. It is really sad to know that people like this do exist, and this was also the case in Caspian Rain. If there were no stigma attached, then Yaaz would have been with hearing aides earlier on. Also her mother wouldn’t have tried so hard to fight the fact that her daughter needed help. If she realized earlier on that her daughter needed help then something could have been done.
The points I found interesting in the book was that I felt the book did an adequate job of portraying what happens to deaf children in Iran, but they could have talked about it more. It should have been a bigger part of the book, which it wasn’t. The book could have talked a lot less about the turmoil of the marriage because of the affair and concentrated more on how Yaaz can get help and explain the different ways of helping a child that is deaf. The book was not very informative about what are the ways of getting help. It was interesting to see that there was lack of emphasis on her deafness. Her mother was so scared of defaming her and not getting her married that she chose to hide the deafness from everyone.
It was also interesting to see how when the mother told someone the truth, they pitied the mother dearly. They looked at it as very sad and a tragedy not looking to see how much she could gain from her daughter. The mother had given up on the daughter from the beginning.
The third interesting thing I found was how there was a lack of support for Yaaz. It made me very sad to see that she was not getting any help. It saddened me to see that Yaaz and Bahar had such a horrible relationship. They could have had a good relationship, but because Bahar was so angry with the world she had put a block from ever getting close to Yaaz, but at least by the end of the book we knew she cared about her.
It was very controversial to see how the mother and father dealt with a deaf daughter in Iran. The fact that it was in another country and it was being hidden was startling. It was upsetting to read about how Bahar was hiding Yaaz’s deafness from everyone and refusing to get her help. It hurt to see that Yaaz was getting worse and worse as the days went by, but Bahar would not do anything.
It was great though that Yaaz got herself hearing aides. That part in the story was one of my favorites, it was a very strong move on Yaaz’s part and it made her seem like a very strong young girl. It was good that she was getting herself the help she needed even if her mother did not help her.
Also I did not like how the book did not really go into a lot of detail about her life when she became fully deaf. The book mentioned that she had lost all of her hearing, but then the book also ended a few chapters later. If the book were to continue on at least we would know about the steps that could have been taken to get Yaaz help, but it stopped too abruptly. The book could have talked more about how she communicated after becoming fully deaf or if there was sign language available for her. I would recommend this book to someone if they wanted to learn about Persian Jews and their history in Iran, but it is not a good book to read about Deaf Culture
When the teacher finally tells Bahar something is wrong with Yaaz, Bahar refuses to get her help. She thinks Yaaz is lazy and not trying hard enough in school. She consistently tells Yaaz she is a failure and she needs to try harder. Finally when the teacher calls them in for a conference, Omid tells Bahar he has to take her to the doctor and get her help. The doctor tells Bahar that Yaaz is losing her hearing and needs hearing aides. If she doesn’t get help now it will only get worse. Bahar starts yelling at the doctor and tells him she won’t put a mark on her child and leaves the office. She refuses to acknowledge it.
In this book there was a lack of sympathy with Yaaz and that irritated me. I really felt that people in Iran should be more open- minded to deaf children. I think they should realize that it’s not her fault that she was born deaf and try to get her as much help as possible. It was really unfair to watch Yaaz’s hearing get worse and worse. No one was willing to help her and this was heartbreaking. I felt that if Yaaz was in America she probably would have gotten treatment for her condition and maybe her hearing would have took more time to be completely lost. Yaaz lost her whole hearing by age 12 and I felt that maybe if her mom let her get hearing aides right away then she would have been fine.
I know in the Middle East and south Asia there is a lot of stigma attached to disabilities. People tend to hide these disabilities because they know no one will want to marry into that family if one person is disabled. It is really sad to know that people like this do exist, and this was also the case in Caspian Rain. If there were no stigma attached, then Yaaz would have been with hearing aides earlier on. Also her mother wouldn’t have tried so hard to fight the fact that her daughter needed help. If she realized earlier on that her daughter needed help then something could have been done.
The points I found interesting in the book was that I felt the book did an adequate job of portraying what happens to deaf children in Iran, but they could have talked about it more. It should have been a bigger part of the book, which it wasn’t. The book could have talked a lot less about the turmoil of the marriage because of the affair and concentrated more on how Yaaz can get help and explain the different ways of helping a child that is deaf. The book was not very informative about what are the ways of getting help. It was interesting to see that there was lack of emphasis on her deafness. Her mother was so scared of defaming her and not getting her married that she chose to hide the deafness from everyone.
It was also interesting to see how when the mother told someone the truth, they pitied the mother dearly. They looked at it as very sad and a tragedy not looking to see how much she could gain from her daughter. The mother had given up on the daughter from the beginning.
The third interesting thing I found was how there was a lack of support for Yaaz. It made me very sad to see that she was not getting any help. It saddened me to see that Yaaz and Bahar had such a horrible relationship. They could have had a good relationship, but because Bahar was so angry with the world she had put a block from ever getting close to Yaaz, but at least by the end of the book we knew she cared about her.
It was very controversial to see how the mother and father dealt with a deaf daughter in Iran. The fact that it was in another country and it was being hidden was startling. It was upsetting to read about how Bahar was hiding Yaaz’s deafness from everyone and refusing to get her help. It hurt to see that Yaaz was getting worse and worse as the days went by, but Bahar would not do anything.
It was great though that Yaaz got herself hearing aides. That part in the story was one of my favorites, it was a very strong move on Yaaz’s part and it made her seem like a very strong young girl. It was good that she was getting herself the help she needed even if her mother did not help her.
Also I did not like how the book did not really go into a lot of detail about her life when she became fully deaf. The book mentioned that she had lost all of her hearing, but then the book also ended a few chapters later. If the book were to continue on at least we would know about the steps that could have been taken to get Yaaz help, but it stopped too abruptly. The book could have talked more about how she communicated after becoming fully deaf or if there was sign language available for her. I would recommend this book to someone if they wanted to learn about Persian Jews and their history in Iran, but it is not a good book to read about Deaf Culture
August 29, 2009
I am definetly the minority here, but I did not enjoy this book much at all. I was expecting a novel about a deaf girl growing up in revolitionary Iran and knowing first hand what it is like being deaf in America, of course I jumped for excitement upon finding this book. Readers looking for a "deaf culture" type story, do not be mislead. Only the very last quarter of the book addresses Yaas's hearing impairment. The entire first half is about her parents and their marital discord. She is not even born till halfway thru. In between a bunch of mumbo jumbo about a tango dancing neighbor and a boy ghost riding around on a bike, the book goes on and on about Yaas's parents. Her dad is having a very public affair and when he does show up at home, her mother screams at him and so on. This is such a common problem (affairs and marital discord and screaming parents) that I fail to see why we need another novel about it.
In the very last quarter, Yaas discovers that she has hearing loss. Here it finally gets interesting if you can ignore the constant arguing between the parents and the tango dancer and boy on the bike. Here readers are introduced to the world of hearing aides and the fear and insecurities parents of hearing impaired children face.
If the entire book had been about Yaas and her struggles I would have enjoyed it a lot more. I couldn't care less about reading another book about a man having an affair.
For fans of the historical fiction genre who want a taste of deaf culture while at it, do try The Tailor's Daughter.
In the very last quarter, Yaas discovers that she has hearing loss. Here it finally gets interesting if you can ignore the constant arguing between the parents and the tango dancer and boy on the bike. Here readers are introduced to the world of hearing aides and the fear and insecurities parents of hearing impaired children face.
If the entire book had been about Yaas and her struggles I would have enjoyed it a lot more. I couldn't care less about reading another book about a man having an affair.
For fans of the historical fiction genre who want a taste of deaf culture while at it, do try The Tailor's Daughter.
March 19, 2009
Good God this book is bleak. Occasionally it picks up with some plot, and I'm captivated because I think, 'Maybe things are about to change for these poor characters,' but Ha Ha, joke's on me, things change but they only get worse.
Don't get me wrong, the writing is beautiful. I learned a bit about Iran, where the story is set. It's got some interesting perspectives on the nature of life, and experience, and loyalty, and family. So much fiction is called "luminous" these days -- especially debut novels, for some reason. They are often "luminous." Well, this book was luminous, but also depressing. Luminously depressing. Is there a special word for that?
Don't get me wrong, the writing is beautiful. I learned a bit about Iran, where the story is set. It's got some interesting perspectives on the nature of life, and experience, and loyalty, and family. So much fiction is called "luminous" these days -- especially debut novels, for some reason. They are often "luminous." Well, this book was luminous, but also depressing. Luminously depressing. Is there a special word for that?
May 24, 2008
Gina B. Nahai finally seems to be finding an American audience for her work; perhaps our esteemed president's war on terrorism (or his seeming declaration of war on most of the rest of the world which doesn't appreciate his cowboy politics) has awakened us to what was a number of years ago "of little interest." Caspian Rain provides us with a portrait of Yaas's parents' rather unhappy marriage and her own upbringing within it.
Yaas's mother, Bahar, grew up with her seamstress-wannabe-mother; cantor-wannabe-father; opera-singer-wannabe; Islamic convert brother; younger brother (who happens to be a ghost); unmarried older sister; and her other older sister who is married to an abusive psychoanalyst in the poor Jewish section of Tehran. Bahar knows she is always destined for something greater than her circumstance and she finds it when she literally stumbles into the path of Omid Arbab's limousine, recently broken up with his fiance and looking for someone a little more mailable.
Although it is told in the third person, Caspian Rain, often switches points of view between her parents' to Yaas's. Although never quite reaching the level of melancholy or high tragedy, it is not very light or entirely uplifting reading (though it is highly readable and very beautiful. Somewhat bittersweet.
Yaas's mother, Bahar, grew up with her seamstress-wannabe-mother; cantor-wannabe-father; opera-singer-wannabe; Islamic convert brother; younger brother (who happens to be a ghost); unmarried older sister; and her other older sister who is married to an abusive psychoanalyst in the poor Jewish section of Tehran. Bahar knows she is always destined for something greater than her circumstance and she finds it when she literally stumbles into the path of Omid Arbab's limousine, recently broken up with his fiance and looking for someone a little more mailable.
Although it is told in the third person, Caspian Rain, often switches points of view between her parents' to Yaas's. Although never quite reaching the level of melancholy or high tragedy, it is not very light or entirely uplifting reading (though it is highly readable and very beautiful. Somewhat bittersweet.
July 26, 2012
Well written but derivative and dishonest in its attempt to pass off as a novel about disability (character's deafness is not only peripheral to the story but also an afterthought, a ridiculous if not offensive attempt to claim this novel in the category of "disability literature",and yes that category exists, an offshoot of "identity literature" and "identity politics" that have invaded literary theory since the 90s).
February 21, 2008
This book was full of gorgeous passages, evocative and disturbing images, but ultimately, it fell apart as the author dropped the ball on several important plot elements and the main character's secret affliction felt stitched in at the last moment without being woven through the entire story. Very disappointing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2008
Compulsive book-finisher that I am, I kept on until the end - but regretted it. Did learn a good bit about the Persian community around the time of the Shah and afterwards but it wasn't worth the work. This was one of the most depresseing books I've read in a while. Flat characters, flat writing....
December 8, 2009
This book was amazing. In this book there were mixed emotions. I was really angry at many thing and was happy at some. But the book is really good.
November 17, 2013
For me this was an intriguing look at another culture, but it also shocked me a lot. I felt like my heart was bruised reading this...
January 6, 2022
Both heartbreaking and unexciting
November 25, 2012
Cultural mores and expectations are a central theme throughout the novel. Love and loss are predominate factors in Caspian Rain. Identity and failure are evoked within the pages. Women are expected to perform in specific manners, within a marriage, and within a family unit. Even the women married to wealthy husbands are expected to obey their husbands, and uphold strict appearances, so as not to embarrass the family or cause gossip within the social spectrum. Through all the wealth they have, the women have given up their freedom and are repressed. Divorce is a stigma that nobody wants to endure.
Nahai has written a book filled with vivid imagery of life during that time period in Iran. She demonstrates how the men hold the upper hand, and the women are stifled and held to a strict command. Repression weaves its way through the pages, as the story unfolds. Gina Nahai has given the reader a brilliant story, although a depressing one. The ending, although predictable, does not lessen the story line or the strong message within it. There isn’t much inspiration or illumination within the novel and that is due to the fact that life is portrayed as it was, factually, through all of the confinements imposed upon women. I recommend Caspian Rain to those who are interested in the cultural aspects of pre-revolutionary Iran.
Nahai has written a book filled with vivid imagery of life during that time period in Iran. She demonstrates how the men hold the upper hand, and the women are stifled and held to a strict command. Repression weaves its way through the pages, as the story unfolds. Gina Nahai has given the reader a brilliant story, although a depressing one. The ending, although predictable, does not lessen the story line or the strong message within it. There isn’t much inspiration or illumination within the novel and that is due to the fact that life is portrayed as it was, factually, through all of the confinements imposed upon women. I recommend Caspian Rain to those who are interested in the cultural aspects of pre-revolutionary Iran.
February 8, 2016
I enjoyed the book, but I felt that I have read historical fiction and better novels set in Iran. While reading the book, some things just did feel authentic (or things were simplified, cultural attitudes, cultural beliefs and practices, etc.). When I learned that the author was born in Iran, but fled to the US with her family at the time of the revolution, the style of the book makes a little more sense. For example, any time Nahai writes about the Shah, it's always positive. She doesn't in any way include any of the details about WHY people chose to revolt (i.e. the Shah was seen as a puppet to the West, the existence of a huge disparity gap in wealth, his regime became increasingly brutal and oppressive, etc.), or what were the negative sides of the Shah's regime. She highlights several of the actions of the Shah that benefited the Jewish community (i.e. ability to live outside ghettos, expanded employment opportunities and opportunities to raise one's wealth), but it's all one-sides, she doesn't include any of the negative repercussions for the Jewish community in Iran. In short, the book reads like someone who researched Iran (and had some basic first-hand experience of Iran) wrote a novel. It's an interesting story, and the characters and somewhat developed, but the whole thing lacks a certain depth.
September 29, 2007
This is the story of a Jewish-Iranian family's experiences in Iran in the years leading up to the Revolution. The story is told from the perspective of a young girl as she relates her mother's life story. It's not so much a religiously-charged book as I had initially expected, thinking it would be a Jews vs. Muslims tale. But religion does play a part in that it focuses on the large disparity between the rich and poor Jews in Iran during that era.
I really enjoyed the book for the most part, and had a hard time putting it down as I was dying to reach the end in hopes that it wouldn't fall to the same "tragic" fate as most Iranian stories, both film and literary, often do... however once I reached the last chapters of the book, all hopes for a sweet ending that would be wrapped up with a lovely, tidy little bow soon flew out the window! Regardless, it's a good read and has intrigued me into wanting to read more historical fiction about the Jews in Iran, including a book I recently stumbled upon titled Septembers of Shiraz.
I really enjoyed the book for the most part, and had a hard time putting it down as I was dying to reach the end in hopes that it wouldn't fall to the same "tragic" fate as most Iranian stories, both film and literary, often do... however once I reached the last chapters of the book, all hopes for a sweet ending that would be wrapped up with a lovely, tidy little bow soon flew out the window! Regardless, it's a good read and has intrigued me into wanting to read more historical fiction about the Jews in Iran, including a book I recently stumbled upon titled Septembers of Shiraz.
Read
February 5, 2009Gina Nahai, who left Iran as an adolescent, offers a rare glimpse into one family's inner sanctum prior to Iran's Islamic Revolution. A tragic story told in memoir form, Caspian Rain reveals the limitations of their lives against the class struggles and conflict between tradition and modernism that defined pre-Revolution Iran. Engaging characters (particularly the 12-year-old Yaas), some beautiful writing (with a little magical realism thrown in, including the existence of Ghost Brother), and a compelling story propelled critics along. A few reviewers noted a slightly pretentious style and tone, some overly precious moments, and a limited view of the Jewish-Iranian diaspora. When it's at its best, however, Caspian Rain is a fascinating, tragic coming-of-age story.
This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine.
July 30, 2011
My wife picked this book off the shelf at the local library without knowing anything about it. As I read it I was drawn into the sorrowful lives of Bahar and Yaas to a degree I had not expected. I think that living overseas in a culture similar to that which she describes made me particularly sympathetic for the constraints and burdens that these women must live with, that so profoundly shape their lives. I have seen their fates reflected in the lives of other woman and my heart grieves for them. Nahai does a masterful job of drawing us into the world of these women and stirring within us empathy and pity. I would love to say that she also stirs hope, but hope plays little role in the world she describes, which is part of what makes the story both so profoundly tragic as well as so realistic. I highly recommend this book and will be looking for others by Nahai in the future.
May 29, 2009
Just met the author at our Literacy fundraiser, wonderful personality, obviously intelligent, with a rich family history. Can't wait to get started!
(finished book) I enjoyed this book despite some lukewarm reviews out there on it. I found the imagery rich and writing descriptive and flowing. It is not a happy book - it is a book that overlays what is all too common (an unhappy marriage, childhood illness) onto the face of a changing country. Apparently there were some complaints from readers about the ending - and I thought the ending was yes,horrific, but also poetic, and really possibly the best solution - it was her choice and in that country how many choices do women have? I plan to check out her other books now.
(finished book) I enjoyed this book despite some lukewarm reviews out there on it. I found the imagery rich and writing descriptive and flowing. It is not a happy book - it is a book that overlays what is all too common (an unhappy marriage, childhood illness) onto the face of a changing country. Apparently there were some complaints from readers about the ending - and I thought the ending was yes,horrific, but also poetic, and really possibly the best solution - it was her choice and in that country how many choices do women have? I plan to check out her other books now.
September 24, 2015
An interesting book by a new author for me. Follows the life of a girl, Jewish and poor in Tehran during the last years of the Shah's regime. Her "perfect" marriage to a wealthy Jewish boy turns out to be anything but perfect. And their daughter, Yass, caught up in her parents' and their families conflicts, has anything but an easy or happy life. There is a lot in the story about class conflicts, religious differences, power and lack of power. Yaas' life becomes more difficult (for reasons that I won't reveal but that come as an interesting, important part of the story.) There is some "magical realism" in this book that can at times be irritating and doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the story. Anyway, recommended. And very sad but realistic I think.
December 9, 2008
Unlike a few recent books that fell short of expectations, this one was better than I thought it would be. I was expecting that dull class of lukewarm 'ethnic' fiction, with technicolor descriptions of foods and spices, and lots of deep poetic talk about mothers and daughters.
Definitely it was about mothers and daughters. But there was very little food. Instead Nazis, ghost brothers on bicycles, and sweaty lodgers who go to door-to-door selling the hair of the dead. Chamedooni is a great name, don't you think?
Definitely it was about mothers and daughters. But there was very little food. Instead Nazis, ghost brothers on bicycles, and sweaty lodgers who go to door-to-door selling the hair of the dead. Chamedooni is a great name, don't you think?
May 8, 2009
Caspian Rain is a rather sad story. Bahar is a young school girl when her future husband sets eyes on her. Eager to live life, she accepts the proposal only to be shunned by his family and friends. Born into a family of secrets she cannot escape the fact that her husband does not love her and is carrying on an affair openly. Bahar has so much hope and faith that I wanted her to be strong and rise above her circumstances. But she never does. The book chronicles her life and the disappointment she is to her mother, and how she imposes the same burden on her child.
April 1, 2011
Bizarre, fascinating with a tragic ending, but the story kept drawing me back in. Now that I've had time to allow the story to digest, I think I really liked it. It was so different from anything I'd ever read.
The book is the narrative of a Jewish Iranian girl growing up in pre-revolutionary Tehran describing the dissolution of her parents marriage. Not exactly light stuff, but the characters were strong, colorful and at times darkly humorous as is befitting Iran in the late 1970s. I don't regret reading it.
The book is the narrative of a Jewish Iranian girl growing up in pre-revolutionary Tehran describing the dissolution of her parents marriage. Not exactly light stuff, but the characters were strong, colorful and at times darkly humorous as is befitting Iran in the late 1970s. I don't regret reading it.
November 17, 2013
All of the magic of a fairy tale without the happy ending. (But and ending that makes you say "wow" never the less.) Thought provoking.
some gems worth pondering:
There's such a thing as too much hope. It's like a black hole: you fall in, and there's no bottom. p259
What is a life, at the end but a story we leave behind? What if that story was never told? p256
They have a different burden-the weak, those who are subject to the will and whims of the strong? They have to choose between two bad options: to be loyal and perish, or to betray others and save themselves. p274
some gems worth pondering:
There's such a thing as too much hope. It's like a black hole: you fall in, and there's no bottom. p259
What is a life, at the end but a story we leave behind? What if that story was never told? p256
They have a different burden-the weak, those who are subject to the will and whims of the strong? They have to choose between two bad options: to be loyal and perish, or to betray others and save themselves. p274
July 2, 2012
Okay, so the first half of this book can basically be gleaned by reading the back cover. Still, the details matter. This was a bit of a slow part for me, because Nahai's writing is beautiful--but the plot held no surprises. Still, as I said, the details matter later on.
Second half of the book--loved it. Great cast of characters. The narrator Yaas starts to become more than just an observer. And the ending--wow!
Not a straightforward narrative, but lovely writing, and it really does all wrap together in the end.
Second half of the book--loved it. Great cast of characters. The narrator Yaas starts to become more than just an observer. And the ending--wow!
Not a straightforward narrative, but lovely writing, and it really does all wrap together in the end.
December 29, 2014
Set in the years before the Iranian Revolution, this novel tells the story of a young girl who struggles with her parents' failing marriage, and a mysterious illness. Although the prose is clear and relatively simple, the characters are well-drawn, and the author evokes the sense of the place and time. Although the novel has some hints of magical realism, the story is mostly realistic. The author does a good job of portraying the aspirations of Iranians from all walks of life during this tumultuous time.
July 18, 2010
This was an interesting book, but I was expecting more on Iranian women, more on deafness, more on growing up Jewish in that culture. The potential for exploring and enhancing the story with details of Iran during that era just wasn't developed. If I hadn't read other books about Iran, many of the references would have gone right over my head. Still, an well written story with some incredible characters!
July 26, 2011
In the years before the Islamic Revolution, the son of a wealthy Iranian Jewish family, assimilated into the country’s mostly Muslim, upper-class, marries a young Jewish woman raised in the slums of South Tehran, near the old Jewish ghetto. Conflict immediately arises since each partner has totally different expectations of their marriage. A controlling husband wants a traditional subservient role for his wife who had hoped to benefit from a rise in status and start a career.
July 29, 2011
This book is well written and covers a number of unusual territories--the first is Jews living in Iran (the era is under the Shah, so it is not a book of religious oppression) and the other is a child growing up deaf in a family that refuses to accept it--not all that uncommon. The writing style is unusual and very good--the author has a neat voice that moves at a quickyet leisurely pace that I found quite wonderful.
July 30, 2014
I feel this story is about relationships and how to work together with obstacles. Yeah maybe in that time cultures shouldn't mix. Not even helping a deaf girl get along in life they couldn't do. To make a difference and be better than what's thrown at them.
I was drawn to the characters. They were so different but still the same. Wanting to please and wanting to run. Cultures might be different. But the story is all the same.
I was drawn to the characters. They were so different but still the same. Wanting to please and wanting to run. Cultures might be different. But the story is all the same.
July 4, 2018
Quando eu ainda morava nos Estados Unidos, fiz amizade com um casal judeu iraniano. Quando os conheci, a minha ignorância sobre o Irã e sua população era tão grande que não pude esconder a minha surpresa ao aprender que no Irã da época do Xá, havia uma grande comunidade judaica, a maior no Oriente Médio fora de Israel. Naqueles anos, o Aiatolá Khomeini já havia se cansado de requisitar a cabeça do escritor Salman Rushdie pelo livro VERSOS SATÂNICOS! Levando isso em conta, simplesmente assumi que a maioria dos judeus persas houvesse emigrado. No entanto, para escrever a resenha do livro que acabo de ler, busquei informações na rede e me surpreendi, uma vez mais, ao saber que ainda há uma pequena e devota comunidade judia na capital, Teerã. A mim, parecia improvável que houvesse tolerância no mundo xiita aos judeus, principalmente no Irã, que nas últimas décadas não tem sido visto como um país particularmente aberto a opiniões que diferem do conservadorismo xiita. Abordo esse assunto porque as famílias dos personagens centrais do livro CHUVA DOURADA, de Gina B. Nahai [Ediouro: 2007], pertencem a famílias judias, residentes no Teerã, e suas histórias se passam nos anos imediatamente anteriores à revolução que depôs o Xá da Pérsia.
Este foi um romance que me deixou silenciosa e pensativa. Acabei de ler suas 332 páginas em dois dias e passei a tarde e a noite do último dia, após fechar o último parágrafo, tendo que considerar a potência dos preconceitos contra mulheres, que também afetam os homens. Preconceitos arraigados por religiões e culturas milenares limitam, cerceiam, podam e contorcem os espíritos ricos, as mentes empreendedoras, os gritos rebeldes das almas que precisam se expressar. De particular amargor é ver mais uma vez o retrato da discriminação contra a mulher. Este é um assunto que me cala. Mas ainda é difícil imaginar o rancor que mulheres como Bahar [nome que em farsi significa Primavera], personagem principal da trama, trazem dentro de si, encobrindo como um manto todos os desejos de crescimento emocional e educacional a que aspiram e que preconceitos variados lhes tolhem, a todo momento, o simples ato de viver bem ou dignamente. Inadvertidamente, essas mulheres, passam para suas filhas, para a próxima geração, os mesmos traumas com que cresceram, repetindo numa cadeia infinita, as pragas de se ter uma filha mulher, a tristeza de não se ter um filho homem. Perpetuam assim a injustiça que sofreram e da qual não conseguiram se libertar.
A história de Bahar, tenho certeza, não é única. Nem é simplesmente um excesso da imaginação de uma iraniana que se libertou e emigrou para os EUA, como aconteceu com a autora. Aos 17 anos Bahar encontra Omid [ cujo nome em farsi significa Esperança]. Ela é de uma família judia pobre. Ele de uma família judia rica. Eles se casam contra a vontade da família dele. E o que deveria ter-se tornado um conto de amor, passa a ser uma história de abuso, de preconceito, de tortura, não dos agentes que poderíamos esperar, mas da sociedade, da cultura, do círculo familiar. Omid logo encontra o amor de sua vida, uma mulher muçulmana, livre, amante de um outro homem. E por sua própria inabilidade de administrar a vida, os sentimentos e o mundo em que vive, só piora a situação em casa, em seu próprio casamento. Mais uma calamidade aflige o casal, e principalmente Bahar, eles têm uma filha com surdez progressiva. A já depauperada, oprimida Bahar, agora sofre duplamente, não só é mulher e teve uma única filha, também mulher, mas esta filha não preenche todos os requerimentos necessários, pois não é “perfeita”.
CHUVA DOURADA não é um romance leve, cheio de momentos bucólicos. Muito pelo contrário. É uma história triste e fascinante, de um mundo que – aqui no ocidente, numa cultura de inclusão como a nossa – parece pertencer a um tempo cravado nos primeiros séculos da Idade Média, cuja realidade custamos a acreditar co-habite com a nossa, dia a dia, ano a ano. Muito bem narrada, a autora não poupa ao leitor o sofrimento de Bahar e de todas as mulheres nela representadas. Este é um romance sobre expectativas nunca alcançadas.
Recomendo esse livro. Com todas as cinco estreles que me dão. Estou emprestando meu volume a todos os amigos que gostam de boa literatura. E também porque não posso deixar de tentar abrir os olhos, sempre que possível, para o problema da discriminação contra a mulher. Vá ler CHUVA DOURADA. Não é leve. Mas vale todas as palavras nele escritas.
***
NOTA:
Há horas em que tenho a impressão de que não há ninguém no comando das nossas editoras. É impressionante a falta de cuidado com os livros aqui impressos. No caso deste livro, de Gina B. Nahai a pergunta que não cala é: Quem foi que deu a este romance o título de CHUVA DOURADA? Procure pelo título na internet e verá o que qualquer pessoa com um pouco mais de conhecimento percebe: esta é a expressão usada para a urofilia, ou seja para a prática sexual em que a urina está envolvida. Alguém dormiu no volante… É simplesmente inacreditável! O título no original em inglês é “Caspian Rain”. “Caspian” se refere ao Mar Cáspio. No romance a palavra “Caspian” está associada à cor do Mar Cáspio… Por que então não evitar a infeliz conotação implicada no título em português? Ei, onde estava o editor? Onde estavam as cabeças pensantes da Ediouro? O livro não chegou às livrarias com esse título sem a aprovação de alguém… Provavelmente muitos alguéns...
Este foi um romance que me deixou silenciosa e pensativa. Acabei de ler suas 332 páginas em dois dias e passei a tarde e a noite do último dia, após fechar o último parágrafo, tendo que considerar a potência dos preconceitos contra mulheres, que também afetam os homens. Preconceitos arraigados por religiões e culturas milenares limitam, cerceiam, podam e contorcem os espíritos ricos, as mentes empreendedoras, os gritos rebeldes das almas que precisam se expressar. De particular amargor é ver mais uma vez o retrato da discriminação contra a mulher. Este é um assunto que me cala. Mas ainda é difícil imaginar o rancor que mulheres como Bahar [nome que em farsi significa Primavera], personagem principal da trama, trazem dentro de si, encobrindo como um manto todos os desejos de crescimento emocional e educacional a que aspiram e que preconceitos variados lhes tolhem, a todo momento, o simples ato de viver bem ou dignamente. Inadvertidamente, essas mulheres, passam para suas filhas, para a próxima geração, os mesmos traumas com que cresceram, repetindo numa cadeia infinita, as pragas de se ter uma filha mulher, a tristeza de não se ter um filho homem. Perpetuam assim a injustiça que sofreram e da qual não conseguiram se libertar.
A história de Bahar, tenho certeza, não é única. Nem é simplesmente um excesso da imaginação de uma iraniana que se libertou e emigrou para os EUA, como aconteceu com a autora. Aos 17 anos Bahar encontra Omid [ cujo nome em farsi significa Esperança]. Ela é de uma família judia pobre. Ele de uma família judia rica. Eles se casam contra a vontade da família dele. E o que deveria ter-se tornado um conto de amor, passa a ser uma história de abuso, de preconceito, de tortura, não dos agentes que poderíamos esperar, mas da sociedade, da cultura, do círculo familiar. Omid logo encontra o amor de sua vida, uma mulher muçulmana, livre, amante de um outro homem. E por sua própria inabilidade de administrar a vida, os sentimentos e o mundo em que vive, só piora a situação em casa, em seu próprio casamento. Mais uma calamidade aflige o casal, e principalmente Bahar, eles têm uma filha com surdez progressiva. A já depauperada, oprimida Bahar, agora sofre duplamente, não só é mulher e teve uma única filha, também mulher, mas esta filha não preenche todos os requerimentos necessários, pois não é “perfeita”.
CHUVA DOURADA não é um romance leve, cheio de momentos bucólicos. Muito pelo contrário. É uma história triste e fascinante, de um mundo que – aqui no ocidente, numa cultura de inclusão como a nossa – parece pertencer a um tempo cravado nos primeiros séculos da Idade Média, cuja realidade custamos a acreditar co-habite com a nossa, dia a dia, ano a ano. Muito bem narrada, a autora não poupa ao leitor o sofrimento de Bahar e de todas as mulheres nela representadas. Este é um romance sobre expectativas nunca alcançadas.
Recomendo esse livro. Com todas as cinco estreles que me dão. Estou emprestando meu volume a todos os amigos que gostam de boa literatura. E também porque não posso deixar de tentar abrir os olhos, sempre que possível, para o problema da discriminação contra a mulher. Vá ler CHUVA DOURADA. Não é leve. Mas vale todas as palavras nele escritas.
***
NOTA:
Há horas em que tenho a impressão de que não há ninguém no comando das nossas editoras. É impressionante a falta de cuidado com os livros aqui impressos. No caso deste livro, de Gina B. Nahai a pergunta que não cala é: Quem foi que deu a este romance o título de CHUVA DOURADA? Procure pelo título na internet e verá o que qualquer pessoa com um pouco mais de conhecimento percebe: esta é a expressão usada para a urofilia, ou seja para a prática sexual em que a urina está envolvida. Alguém dormiu no volante… É simplesmente inacreditável! O título no original em inglês é “Caspian Rain”. “Caspian” se refere ao Mar Cáspio. No romance a palavra “Caspian” está associada à cor do Mar Cáspio… Por que então não evitar a infeliz conotação implicada no título em português? Ei, onde estava o editor? Onde estavam as cabeças pensantes da Ediouro? O livro não chegou às livrarias com esse título sem a aprovação de alguém… Provavelmente muitos alguéns...
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