The debut novel Children Of the Jacaranda Tree by Sahar Delijani immediately captures the audience with the birth of Neda in an Iran prison. The preface suggests that much of the story is taken from experiences in the authors life. I can only wonder what parts are true to her life and what isn't. The novel follows the lives of people who's lives are changed by the social unrest in post-revoluntionary Iran, from 1983 to 2011. Delijani explores how history has changed characters such as Neda, Maryam, and Sheida and its effects.
Children of the Jacaranda Tree is very interesting and is initially engaging. The characters are well developed and the horrors they encounter are a real tragedy. The story of a daughter never knowing their father because he's been executed or the mother forced to give up their child after only a few months of nursing them. Toddlers earliest memories are of their parents being taken away by force. All occurances that leave readers breathless and wanting to take a stand as some in this novel have done.
I recommend Children of the Jacaranda Tree to fans of Khaled Hosseini and have an interest in the affairs of the Middle East. Sahar Delijani's debut suggests that she is an acceptable new talent in the literary fiction world. ***
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