Books › The Blood of Flowers
The Blood of Flowers
400 pages
A sensuous and transporting journey of a young woman weaving her own destiny through art and resilience in seventeenth-century Persia.
What it feels like
Reading this novel feels like running your hands over a masterfully woven carpet, where every thread is steeped in the vibrant colors, tastes, and fragrances of seventeenth-century Isfahan. The narrative unfolds at a steady, engrossing pace, wrapping the reader in a sensuous and deeply immersive atmosphere. It is a story of profound resilience, tracing an emotional arc from sudden grief and vulnerability to a fierce quest for self-determination. The prose is richly textured, carrying the cadences of a skilled story-spinner who brings the historical setting vividly to life. This book will delight readers who crave transporting historical fiction centered on women's artistry, the struggle for independence, and the quiet power of creation against daunting odds.
- Mood
- sensuous
- vibrant
- immersive
- transporting
- Tone
- earnest
- reverent
- determined
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- self-determination · artistic flourishing · women's resilience · craft and creation · loss of security
- The writing
- Sensuous and richly textured, filled with the vibrant colors, tastes, and fragrances of seventeenth-century Isfahan.
- The arc
- Moves from sudden grief and vulnerability to the empowering, high-stakes pursuit of artistic and personal independence.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love immersive historical fiction centered on women's artistry, resilience, and quests for self-determination.
Content notes
- death of a parent
- forced marriage
- loss of financial security
- grief
About the book
In 17th-century Persia, a 14-year-old woman believes she will be married within the year. But when her beloved father dies, she and her mother find themselves alone and without a dowry. With nowhere else to go, they are forced to sell the brilliant turquoise rug the young woman has woven to pay for their journey to Isfahan, where they will work as servants for her uncle, a rich rug designer in the court of the legendary Shah Abbas the Great.Despite her lowly station, the young woman blossoms as a brilliant designer of carpets, a rarity in a craft dominated by men. But while her talent flourishes, her prospects for a happy marriage grow dim. Forced into a secret marriage toa wealthy man, the young woman finds herself faced with a daunting decision: forsake her own dignity, or risk everything she has in an effort to create a new life."Anita Amirrezvani has written a sensuous and transporting first novel filled with the colors, tastes and fragrances of life in seventeenth-century Isfahan...Amirrezvani clearly knows and loves the ways of old Iran, and brings them to life with the cadences of a skilled story-spinner." -- Geraldine Brooks, author of March"An engrossing, enthralling tale of a girl's quest for self-determination in the fascinating other world that was seventeenth-century Iran." -- Emma Donoghue, author of Touchy Subjects and Life Mask
Description from Open Library.
Books like The Blood of Flowers
See why they match
The Pearl That Broke It's ShellNadia HashimiA sweeping, dual-timeline testament to the enduring strength of women fighting for agency in a world designed to break them.
The Stationery ShopMarjan KamaliA sweeping, sensory tale of star-crossed love and the enduring ache of the paths we didn't take.
The language of flowersVanessa DiffenbaughA tender, emotionally raw exploration of a guarded woman learning to speak the language of love and forgiveness through the secret meanings of flowers.
Peony in LoveLisa SeeA lush, haunting exploration of lovesickness and the afterlife, where passion defies the boundaries of mortality.
The Enchantress of FlorenceSalman RushdieA lush, bawdy, and philosophical fever dream that bridges two magnificent empires through the sheer power of storytelling.
The BreadwinnerDeborah EllisA stark, deeply empathetic portrait of a young girl's quiet rebellion and fierce determination to keep her family alive in an unforgiving world.