the Saffron Kitchen - book review

author:  Yasmin Crother

above it all and below it all - it's a love story.

Set in England and Iran, it's the story of a woman who is out of her element - she was born in Iran, yet sent away... and ended up in England.

There's love of land, love of country, of heritage and of ruptured relationships left behind.

Mariyam as a young girl defied her father and, in his eyes, shamed the famiy.  She was sent to Tehran to study nursing (something she wanted) then she moved on to England.  She marries and has a daughter (in her 30s as this story is told).  After a series of incidents Mariyam returns to Iran, to the village where she was raised.

She realizes she needs to stay, to heal, to fulfill her heart's desire.  Doing this she also knows that she hurts her husband and daughter in England.

This is a book about culture clash.  People from different countries travel and try to make a place for themselves in a new country.  Often they feel torn in two.

I HIGHLY recommend this book!