Silenced Whispers - Afarin O Bellisario

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Résumé :
A 2024 NEW YORK BOOK FESTIVAL HONORARY MENTION While other Iranian girls of the early twentieth century cook, sew, and hope for marriage, Gohar climbs trees, reads books, plays tar, and dreams of escaping her forsaken desert town. But when her forbidden correspondence with a non-Muslim boy is discovered, fear of banishment forces the fatherless Gohar to welcome the protection of Saleh Mirza, a powerful nobleman. At 14, she marries his choice of husband, a 55-year-old politician-expecting to enter her marital home in a white chador and leave it in a white shroud. But fate takes her to Tehran, where she is dazzled by the electric lights and gramophones but appalled by the misery, poverty, corruption, and foreign meddling. Endangering her life and marriage, she joins the reformists while secretly idolizing Aslan, a mysterious Russian allied with the Iranian nationalists. Then Russia invades northern Iran, and the country erupts. In the chaos of war, does a married Iranian Muslim have a future with a Russian Christian hunted by his own government? Or does their story, like so many in Iran, end in blood and tear?...

Sommaire:
NEW YORK BOOK FESTIVAL HONORABLE MENTION ? From Iranian-born author Afarin Bellisario comes an impactful and immersive (Foreword Reviews) novel about the struggle for freedom and love against tradition, corruption, and colonial ambition during World War I. Silenced Whispers is a provocative drama with a heart-wrenching and emotional storyline that is gripping and affecting. Bellisario's excellently crafted tale also provides an illuminating insight into the harsh and oppressive social landscape of early 20th century Iran. -Booklife Gohar doesn't fit the mold: While other girls in early 20th-century Iran cook, sew, and dream of marriage, she climbs trees, reads books, and secretly plays the tar despite the ban on music. But she bows to her fate when at 14, she is compelled to marry a 55-year-old conservative politician. Soon destiny brings her to Tehran-a city rife with corruption, violent political rivalries, and colonial powers' meddling. Defying her husband, she joins the movement to reform the country. Meanwhile, her attraction to Aslan, a mysterious Russian ally of the cause, tests her faith and family honor. ??????? Tension rises when the reformists hire an American to modernize the country, prompting the Russians to invade Northern Iran. And mayhem ensues. Is there a future for an Iranian Muslim and a Russian Christian hunted by their own government amidst the Great War? Silenced Whispers transports readers to the enchanting world of Iran at the turn of the 20th century as the country transforms into a modern nation. This critically acclaimed page-turning tale of love, sacrifice, and courage has been awarded a prestigious Clarion rating of 4 out of 5. It celebrates the women and men who dared to stand up to tradition, corruption, and colonial power grabs....