Awards

• Commended for Benjamin Franklin Award (Bill Fisher Award - Fiction) 2024

Overview

It is 1977, and the police are on their way to break up another student protest at Tehran University. Amineh escapes to a side street. She will soon have her degree in Persian literature, but unlike her peers, she does not want to fight for a say in her country's future. Her thoughts are on the beautiful literature of another era and her past of rose harvests and Sufi poetry evenings under the desert sky. Over a picnic, Amineh agrees to accompany her best friend, Ava, to an underground meeting. There she meets Farzad, an opposition leader with a plan to hold the shah accountable for his actions and to rid the world of the nuclear threat that hangs over them all. Despite her hesitation, Amineh will soon find her life inextricably linked with Farzad's. As the revolution unfolds, she will be tested by a country she doesn't recognize, by her husband's activism she fears is putting their family at risk, and by the burden of the guilt she carries from her childhood. She will turn to her mother's recipes to create a loving, nourishing home for her children, but it won't be long before her husband's dangerous work follows him home. Forced to give up everything, Amineh will learn more about the tragic accident that took her parents' lives, and ultimately, she will be given one more chance to choose love.

Full Product Details

9789198861617

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Reviews

"""From beautiful images of Iran, Sweden, and the UK, to heavily researched historical events, and to characters that are deeply human in their joys, mistakes, and dreams, Nadine Bjursten has written quite an exceptional book. . .Half a Cup of Sand and Sky will captivate folks of all genres and ages with its craft, vitality, and wisdom."" -Independent Book Review (starred review) ""Informative, entertaining, engrossing. . .a wonderful read."" -MAHBOD SERAJI, author of Rooftops of Tehran ""Brilliantly layered and beautifully written, this PEN America finalist is both a searing character portrait and an incisive examination of Iranian history, which is at once moving and illuminating."" -The Independent Review of Books, Reviewer's Pick ""Bjursten's prose is clear, polished, and touched with poetry and insight but never getting in the way of the heart of the story: a woman fighting for her family, love, and freedom from political injustice. Well-drawn characters and a tangible sense of living through history will grip readers. . .The final pages will bring tears."" -Publishers Weekly, Editor's Pick "". . .Enticing. . .Thought-provoking. . ."" -Kirkus Reviews ""A captivating story that respects the complexity of Iran and its history and shines a light on the many courageous Iranians striving for democracy, human security, and freedom."" -TRITA PARSI, author of A Single Roll of the Dice and Losing an Enemy. ""A wise, beautiful novel featuring a woman facing the eternal challenge: how to create an authentic self. . .I adored this book."" -JOAN STEINAU LESTER, PEN Josephine-Miles Award winning author of Loving Before Loving: A Marriage in Black and White"

"""[A] powerful novel of regret, love, loss, and the Iranian Revolution... [a] standout debut..."" - Publisher's Weekly, Editors Pick ""...Enticing... Thought-provoking... An emotional historical journey through the recent history of nuclear armament."" - Kirkus Reviews ""Half a Cup of Sand and Sky is a beautifully written exploration of a woman's struggle to find her place in a world marked by political upheaval, and I would not hesitate to recommend it to fans of high-quality literature everywhere. - Reader's Favorite Five Star Rating"

Author Information

Raised north of New York City in Garrison, Nadine now lives in Lund, Sweden, with her husband and twin daughters. She is the former editor of the Washington, DC-based journal Arms Control Today.

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