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The Lola Quartet
Emily St. John MandelEmily St. John Mandel 9781609530990

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Veil of Roses

by Laura Fitzgerald

ISBN13: 9780553383881
ISBN10: 0553383884
Condition: Standard
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

This compelling debut follows one spirited young woman from the confines of Iran to the intoxicating freedom of America—where she discovers not only an enticing new country but the roots of her own independence. . . .

Tamila Soroush wanted it all. But in the Islamic Republic of Iran, dreams are a dangerous thing for a girl. Knowing they can never come true, Tami abandons them. . . . Until her twenty-fifth birthday, when her parents give her a one-way ticket to America, hoping she will “go and wake up her luck.” If they have their way, Tami will never return to Iran . . . which means she has three months to find a husband in America. Three months before shes sent back for good.

From her first Victorias Secret bra to her first ride on a motor scooter to her first country line-dance, Tami drinks in the freedom of an American girl. Inspired to pursue her passion for photography, she even captures her adventures on film. But looming over her is the fact that she must find an Iranian-born husband before her visa expires. To complicate matters, her friendship with Ike, a young American man, has grown stronger. And it is becoming harder for Tami to ignore the forbidden feelings she has for him.

Its in her English as a second language classes that Tami finds a support system. With the encouragement of headstrong Eva, loyal Nadia, and Agata and Josef, who are carving out a love story of their own, perhaps Tami can keep dreaming—and find a way to stay in America.

Review:

"In this pat but sweet attempt at FOB (fresh off the boat) chick lit, Tamila Soroush, a 27-year-old Iranian woman, flies to Tucson, Ariz., to stay with her older sister, Maryam (whom she hasn't seen in 15 years), and Maryam's orthopedic surgeon husband, Ardishir. Tami is there for a three-month stay, courtesy of a visa arranged by her loving parents, who want her to marry an Iranian with American citizenship and stay in the States. Tami concurs with this plan: 'being married is a small price to pay if I can stay in the land of Opportunity.' But on her way to her ESL class, Tami meets Ike, an affable American working at Starbucks while he raises money to open his own chain of coffee shops. Potential Iranian fianc setups move forward while Tami and Ike's mutual feelings deepen. As she nears the end of her visa, Tami faces some tough choices. The plot is disposable and the agenda transparent, but watching Tami find her voice through such small comforts as being able to sit alone in a house, walk to school unescorted or buy lingerie with her sister will leave readers rooting for her. (Jan.) " Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

About the Author

Laura Fitzgerald lives in Tucson, Arizona with her Iranian-American husband and their two children.

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Average customer rating based on 4 comments:

: Jennmarie68, October 30, 2012 (view all comments by Jennmarie68)
This was a pretty good book. The story was intriguing and I wanted Tami to get her permanent new life in America. The characters were colorful - Tami meets so many people with such different personalities it was interesting on a human condition level to see them interact. And even though Tami is a bit on the "wild" side for an Iranian girl - she has no idea what to expect from her new life in America. Her "wild" side is nothing in comparison to what her American friends do on a daily basis.

As a main character Tami was great. She was trying to learn how to fit-in in a culture that she'd only dreamed about becoming a part of. Even though she desperately tries to shed her Iranian lifestyle, there are parts of it that she struggles with. Even when she starts to open up to a new idea her sister - who tries to keep her "pure" pushes her back to some of the things she wants to break out of. Her only hope is to find a man who will marry her quickly. But that becomes a struggle in itself - she's too Iranian for some and too American for others. Her whole trip to America is a struggle for her to find her identity and where she fits in to her new life. The supporting characters made Tami's story that much better. But all the different influences pull Tami along in a way that leaves her confused and frustrated. But she does make some great friends and gets herself into a few funny situations. Well, funny from the outside, at the time Tami was mortified by some of the things she experiences.

While this is a story about finding love, and marriage (not necessarily in the same person) I think it is more of a look into American culture and how overwhelming it can be for someone who's not used to the freedom America offers. Tami's first interaction on her own in a store is just one example of how different things can be. When she accepts a free sample and then the cops just happen to show up at the store she's at, she panics... It was amusing but it also made me feel kind of sad that Tami was made to feel like she was doing something wrong by doing something so common. Then when her friend from her ESL class Eva takes her on a shopping trip the differences between cultures is even more apparent. Eva isn't American, but she's adapted to the lifestyle extremely well, and while good she has good intentions she ends up putting Tami in quite a few uncomfortable situations.

This was a well written book. I enjoyed the story and I also enjoyed being able to see the American culture from the eyes of someone who's trying to find where she belongs in our culture.
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: Jennmarie68, October 30, 2012 (view all comments by Jennmarie68)
This was a pretty good book. The story was intriguing and I wanted Tami to get her permanent new life in America. The characters were colorful - Tami meets so many people with such different personalities it was interesting on a human condition level to see them interact. And even though Tami is a bit on the "wild" side for an Iranian girl - she has no idea what to expect from her new life in America. Her "wild" side is nothing in comparison to what her American friends do on a daily basis.

As a main character Tami was great. She was trying to learn how to fit-in in a culture that she'd only dreamed about becoming a part of. Even though she desperately tries to shed her Iranian lifestyle, there are parts of it that she struggles with. Even when she starts to open up to a new idea her sister - who tries to keep her "pure" pushes her back to some of the things she wants to break out of. Her only hope is to find a man who will marry her quickly. But that becomes a struggle in itself - she's too Iranian for some and too American for others. Her whole trip to America is a struggle for her to find her identity and where she fits in to her new life. The supporting characters made Tami's story that much better. But all the different influences pull Tami along in a way that leaves her confused and frustrated. But she does make some great friends and gets herself into a few funny situations. Well, funny from the outside, at the time Tami was mortified by some of the things she experiences.

While this is a story about finding love, and marriage (not necessarily in the same person) I think it is more of a look into American culture and how overwhelming it can be for someone who's not used to the freedom America offers. Tami's first interaction on her own in a store is just one example of how different things can be. When she accepts a free sample and then the cops just happen to show up at the store she's at, she panics... It was amusing but it also made me feel kind of sad that Tami was made to feel like she was doing something wrong by doing something so common. Then when her friend from her ESL class Eva takes her on a shopping trip the differences between cultures is even more apparent. Eva isn't American, but she's adapted to the lifestyle extremely well, and while good she has good intentions she ends up putting Tami in quite a few uncomfortable situations.

This was a well written book. I enjoyed the story and I also enjoyed being able to see the American culture from the eyes of someone who's trying to find where she belongs in our culture.
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: viri082007, September 30, 2008 (view all comments by viri082007)
it is a great book!
it has a little bit of everything.
great love story and also funny.
loved the way that the two cultures are compared.
its been the best book i have read so far!
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Product Details

ISBN:: 9780553383881
Author:: Fitzgerald, Laura
Publisher:: Bantam Books
Subject:: General
Subject:: Women
Subject:: Self-actualization (psychology)
Subject:: General Fiction
Subject:: Literature-A to Z
Edition Description:: Trade paper
Publication Date:: 20061231
Binding:: TRADE PAPER
Grade Level:: General/trade
Language:: English
Pages:: 320
Dimensions:: 8.16x5.44x.69 in. .53 lbs.

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Fiction and Poetry » Romance » General

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