Andrea Useem, a journalist and the creator of ReligionWriter--an excellent blog about religion--gave my novel a terrific review. Check out the review of Crows in the Nightingale's Tree on ReligionWriter.com. And if you haven't already, order the book from Amazon.com.
My novel, Crows in the Nightingale's Tree, was published in Spring 2007 and is now available from booksellers including Amazon.com.
This novel was inspired by the true story of a woman who was a member of the Iranian resistance movement around the time of the 1979 revolution. She became politicized while studying at Berkeley, where she joined the Association of Iranian Students in their efforts to change the Shah’s oppressive regime. At the time, the United States was a strong supporter of the monarch, Reza Pahlavi, and did extensive trade with Iran: buying oil and selling weapons.
When the Shah abruptly left the throne, and Ayatollah Khomeini returned from exile, this woman returned to Iran with hopes of helping to shape a new government. The Islamic Republic that took root was not what she had envisioned.
The historical information in Crows in the Nightingale’s Tree is based on my interviews with this woman and two of her contemporaries from the resistance movement. I also reviewed archival documents, conducted extensive library research, and traveled throughout Iran.The narrative was inspired by real-life experiences, but the story and the characters in it are works of fiction.
You can visit the publisher's site for a free preview of the first chapter.
Time is a strange thing. The three months I spent in South America seem like a mini-lifetime. Each day was an adventure, even if I just did my laundry at the lavanderia, grabbed some empanadas from the local pizzeria, and read the comics in Clarin.
Since I've been back, the days and weeks have run together. Time goes quickly when you are following a routine. This is not an inherently bad thing, but it is a less intense way of living.
Friends and colleagues have asked, "what's next?" I'm not sure yet, but I hope that whatever it is will honor the lesson I learned I while out of my routine: that the most rewarding goal is simply to experience life and all the world has to offer. The next time I complain about not having accomplished or achieved enough, the next time I moan about not having everything I want, just remind me: you survived using hole-in-the-ground toilets on blustery Andean hillsides for five days. For a city girl, that's an accomplishment.
