The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree by Shokoofeh Azar
The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree is a family tale about the unshakable bond between the living and the dead from one of Iran’s emerging literary stars. This poignant, vividly imagined book, which is set in Iran in the ten years after the Islamic Revolution of 1979, is told by the ghost of Bahar, a thirteen-year-old girl whose family is forced to leave their home in Tehran for a new life in a small village in the hopes of preserving both their intellectual freedom and their lives. However, they quickly become embroiled in the post-revolutionary chaos that engulfs their ancient home. After suffering a sad loss, Bahar’s mother will set out on a lengthy, dramatic quest to find purpose in a world engulfed in post-revolutionary turmoil.
The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree, told through the eyes of a young girl, explores the power of imagination in the face of cruelty as well as the need we all have to process pain via the ritual of storytelling. Azar creates a relevant and timeless tale through her enduring characters that contrast the beauty of an age-old, thriving culture with the harshness of a tyrannical political system.
The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree by Shokoofeh Azar
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A bereaved eulogy and a love letter to a planet that is no more. This is the tale of all that was lost, as seen through the ghostly eyes of a thirteen-year-old girl, and is set in the years immediately following the Iranian Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War. Her family escapes the unrest in Tehran for a tiny, remote village in the forests of northern Iran, but they quickly realize that even in such a remote and idyllic spot, they are powerless to escape the evils of the outside world. The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree is a vividly realized reminder of the social and cultural costs associated with fundamentalist zealotry. It is steeped in Persian history and folklore and is written in a magic realist style reminiscent of Gabriel Garcia Márquez.
In addition to paying homage to international literature, “The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree” also celebrates Persian literature and mythology. In order to convey us an interesting and tragic story, Azar has incorporated a number of aspects of the ancient Persian Zoroastrian tradition. She pays great attention to details about the stunning natural surroundings and the hardworking people of Northern Iran to create an unreal but believable universe. Marquezian magical realist literature frequently alludes to writers, poets, and literary figures. For instance, the renowned Iranian poet Sohrab Sepehri makes an appearance in one of the book’s scenes.
