I knew this book would be special for me to read as my family hails from Tehran (we’re Persian-Armenian) and this sweet novel takes place there. It reads so rich and vibrant, full of colorful descriptions of the culture, food, and atmosphere of 1950’s Tehran. Kamali layers in the immigrant story beautifully while also educating the reader on the political history of Iran.
Our two protagonists Roya and Bahman meet in a stationery shop and immediately connect by sharing their love of poetry and literature with one another. I mean, how romantic does that already sound? Their relationship becomes complex due to some unsavory family dynamics and jumps back and forth between their time in Tehran and America. The presence of food in the novel is intoxicating, so it’s safe to say I’m excited to write about this one. I hope this encourages you to dive into some Persian cuisine and cooking!
To Drink
There was so much mention of juicy and crisp melon weaved throughout the book, and definitely some symbolism regarding one of the characters, too, (I won’t spoil it for you) so I had to choose a cantaloupe forward drink. This recipe sounds so refreshing for a hot day. I love the addition of orange blossom water and mint. I’d probably opt to make this on the rocks instead of blended, but I’m sure it’s delicious either way.
[Image from Be Inspired]
The Menu
Well, this was a bit of a no-brainer for me as this is hands down my favorite Persian dish, and there’s a very sweet scene where Roya is introducing Walter, her American beau to Persian cuisine that reminds me of ghormeh sabzi since it included Persian limes as an ingredient. My family makes it with beef, but you can also do it with lamb. Samin Nosrat has a tasty sounding recipe here, but my grandma’s is the absolute best (obviously)!
Dessert
Rollet (or roulette) is essentially a Swiss roll cake, but the Iranian version is far superior than any Swiss roll cake I’ve had. It has rose water in the whipped cream and is usually topped with pistachios and sometimes includes sliced fruit. I love the combination of rose water and fresh cream. Bottom of the Pot by Naz Deravian is an amazing Persian cookbook. Her recipe for rollet can be found here.
The Tablescape
When you drink chai, it should only be in a glass mug! And these ones I found on Etsy are some of the exact pieces my parents still have. I also love these little dishes for a Haft Seen table for Nowruz, (Persian New Year) and it’s of course customary to have an ornate platter that’s ready for a big mound of rice and tahdig.
Vintage Mugs, Etsy
Haft Seen Dishes, Etsy
Ornate Platter, Etsy
Since rose is so prominent in Persian culture, I had to include a fragrant garden rose arrangement I made a while back.
Featured flowers: larkspur, garden rose, anthurium
The Outfit
I have so many memories of looking through old photos of my mom wearing a classic pinafore style school-girl uniform. Since there’s a lot of mention of Roya and Zari heading to school together both in Tehran and California, I went with that theme a bit.
Pinafore Dress, T-shirt, Shoes, Socks
The Playlist
Something a little different this time! I’ve had this ‘Persian Oldies’ playlist saved from Spotify for so long and I think it’s just perfect as is for this post. I hope you discover some new tunes while listening!
The Mood Board
Credits: Pinterest, Pars Times, Azizam, Living in Tehran
“Because it was almost summer, because the bushes and trees were already lush, because it was twilight and they were seventeen and the air was filled with jasmine, their walk on the boulevard was one that would imprint itself onto Roya’s heart for years to come.”
This is so lovely, Calia! You've inspired me to add this to my list.
read this book last year—loved it and miss these characters!! this piece captures it completely<3