Together Tea by Marjan Kamali

 

I don't know what it is that draws me to Marjan Kamali's books. Her story line, her thoughtfulness, her fair view of a country in chaos, her opinions, her choice of narrators...are par excellence. She touches emotions like no other. It's like holding a cup of hot, fragrant tea between your palms and sipping it little by little, allowing the brew to go slowly down your throat and warming the depths of your heart and letting out a sigh of relief or just...contentment, perhaps.

Darya is in search of a suitable son-in-law for her daughter, Mina. Darya has made exhaustive spreadsheets of all the Iranian-American bachelors available for betrothal. None of them really is making their mark from Mina's point of view.

Mina, studying Business Studies in America, is somewhat unsatisfied with the course she is pursuing and wants to do something that comes from the heart - something that truly brings satisfaction. Her father, Parvez has always ensured that his three children followed their heart, but when you are on foreign land, you have to learn to make most of all the opportunities you get.

But this is not Parvez's story. This story wholly belongs to Mina and Darya. Somewhere along the book, the story takes you back to Darya's childhood and her growing up years and how she had to leave Tehran and come away to America - a country she didn't warm up to, initially, but later it grew on her. It was the place her children were brought up in, which ensured safety at all times. 

Mina one day decides to go back to Tehran, to see the country of her mother. Was that going to be a good decision, considering there was so much chaos there? Darya is filled with happiness to go visit her family and what ensues is sheer cuteness - the chatter, the banter, the food, the sights...It's all a matter of the heart after all - for Darya and for Mina. 

Does Mina find peace and solace in a chaotic country? Does she bump into someone who will sweep her off her feet? Does she get to follow her heart or does she find a balance?

You have to listen to Negin Farsad's brilliant narration to truly feel the Iranian taste of storytelling. 

Marjan Kamali - you are brilliant! You make me fall in love with reading and having an educated and mindful outlook towards life. And you give me sleepless nights!