Touba and the Meaning of Night

by Shahrnush Parsipur, Houra Yavari (Afterword), Havva Houshmand (Translation)

After her father's death, fourteen-year-old Touba takes her family's financial security into her own hands by proposing to a fifty-two-year-old relative. But, intimidated by her outspoken nature, Touba's husband soon divorces her. When she marries again, it is to a prince with whom she experiences tenderness and physical passion and bears four children--but their relationship sours when he proves unfaithful. Touba is granted a divorce, and as her unconventional life continues, she becomes the matriarch of an ever-changing household of family members and refugees . . .

Genres: Fiction, Iran

368 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2008

About the author

(Persian: شهرنوش پارسی‌پور)

Reviews

[Sofie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mystery, religion, spirituality, signs, symbols.
How to put it in the right way? I will limit it to this: there is a lot of words. Within one section, she switches so often that it takes your breath away. Is the author lost? in a hurry?
But then I realize how this book should be read: in calm, with only the sound of waves and cicadas, cold lemonade in hand.
Admittedly, the writing is good. That being said, I took a 10 month hiatus from this one.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was by far one of the most difficult things I have read in quite a few years. Even though it's a relatively small book it's really not because there's so much in it to unpack. It's also nonlinear and very spiritual which makes it impossible to blow through. To really get this book you need to just go with the flow and take your time with it.

[Cathalijn Brunner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Put the book back on the "plan to read" shelf. It's a good book but I just don't seem to be able to get into the story.

[Navid Molaaghaei · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the 3 books I’d bring with me into the grave