The Saffron Kitchen Book

2.5 stars

As Sara is sitting down with Maryam, her mother and Saeed, her mother's nephew, she does not yet that this day will end in tragedy. After hearing harsh words from Maryam, Saeed bolts from the table and heads for the bridge. Sara chases after him and successfully holds him back but not before being kicked on the stomach. Sara miscarries that day. Maryam, feeling responsible, takes off to Iran unable to repress her past no longer. In trying to understand Maryam, Sara goes to her in Iran and finally begins to see her mother in a different light.

Upon finishing this book, I found myself torn. I like the concept and the background but found the execution lacking. I was relieved to see that other reviwers felt the same way. This book was on my TBR list for a while and I thought that it was time to read it. Initially, I thought the book was going to take place in the kitchen, dealing with the flavors and scents of Iran. I thought that saffron was going to have a more prominent role. That was not the case. The narrative is focused primarily on Maryam, an immigrant from Iran, she left her homeland and eventually married in England. Most of her life in London, she has not talked about her past but having been the cause behind Sara's miscarriage, all that changes. Maryam's past begins to unravel and she flees to the last place that felt like home, to Iran. Maryam is the daughter of a general and her freedom came at a cost. Nice concept but disappointing execution. I wish the author would have put as much effort in the characterization of Maryam as she did in the beautiful descriptions of Iran. For all that Maryam went through, we really don't much about her. Her character felt detached and I think that was a problem with the prose. It was difficult to connect and relate to any of the characters.

For some reason, this work feels unfinished for me. I found the switching between the first and third person narrative confusing. I still do not quite get how the title connects with the overall narrative. Its not that I disliked Maryam, her past was difficult, but the prose made her seem detached and somewhat flat in her characterization. For a relatively short book, it felt long (and not in a good way). Where the author shines is in her descrptions of Iran, of the customs and traditions. The way she speaks about the land is great and also the way she speaks of the families. That was a major theme in the book, family and the ties that bind them and break them apart. I really feel for Edward (Maryam's husband) and thought he deserved better. I really wanted to love this book but do not regret reading it. Overall, this book was just okay but it could have been better.