Saturday, June 4, 2011

BOOK: Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran

Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran, 314 pages

Once Upon a Time; Ireland Reading Challenge

For people who have read Sarah Addison Allen and liked her books like The Sugar Queen or Garden Spells, I would suggest Pomegranate Soup. Set in Ireland, it follows the story of three sisters from Iran who set up a cafe in the mid 1980s. One of the sisters has a way with food, and their exotic offerings bewitch some of the residents of the small Irish village. Nothing big or magical, just a small hint of the mystical, much like Addison Allen adds to her books.

The sisters were wonderful characters, and the story that gradually comes out of their leaving Iran during the revolution adds a depth to the novel, which begins rather lightly, with some stock Irish characters from the village. The nosy old lady, the bully who owns most of the town, the drunk. But then, I like my Irish stories as well, stock characters or not, so Maeve Binchy fans might also like this book. It's a nice, light read, with a sequel that is also available to read, Rosewater and Sodabread. So much of the story revolves around food, and there are recipes for all the Iranian delights at the back of the book. Really, it hits all my 'likeable' points about a book, and I quite enjoyed it.

Mehran was born in Iran and, after escaping during the Revolution, has lived in several countries before settling in Ireland.

6 comments:

  1. Sounds like just my thing - I love books about food, I love Sarah Addidon Allen and I love books set in Ireland. :-)

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  2. joanna - exactly! it's the perfect blend of my favorite things.

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  3. I'm pretty sure this is on my to-read list, but I'd better make sure, since I'm definitely a Sarah A A fan and also a fan of food. :)

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  4. little librarian - I think you'll like it. The food sounds so fabulous too!

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  5. I love Sarah Addison Allen - so this one definitely goes on the TBR list!

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  6. carrie - I feel like this was the real find for me in this challenge. The other books I've read are much more recognizable so I was pretty sure I'd like them, but this was so much more unknown.

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