Let’s admit it. No matter how avid a reader you are and no matter how much you are obsessed with the romance genre, there comes a point that you are tired of reading that same, old, typical love story between a hot, reckless guy and sweet, responsible girl, or vice versa. Often, when this tipping point comes for me, I turn to other genres of fiction. This time however, I thought, may be the problem isn’t with romance as a genre, may be the problem is with the setting.
So I went out on a Google quest for a romance set in the Eastern part of the world. We are all aware that the American and European cultures differ significantly from the Asian and African cultures. Based on this assumption, I was expecting something new. However, I didn’t expect something so uniquely beautiful.
This story is based in the 1950’s Iran and crosses over to 21st century U.S.A. as the Iranian protagonists move there. The story touches upon a million issues: the political turmoil in Iran, the stigma attached to mental ill health, prejudices faced by immigrants in the Western world, etc. However, The Stationary Shop is, at its heart, a truly, madly, deeply in love kind of love story.
Whenever I read books based in India or our neighboring countries, I find a connection with them on another level. Just the small things, like the use of slangs typical to our language, the attires of characters, the way people interact, feels so familiar. With this novel, I felt the same connect. Many of the Farci phrases included in the conversations and narration are similar to some Indian languages. The garments, the judgements and the food made it seem like I was reading about the love story of a girl who could have easily been my neighbor in childhood. The plot even has twists and turns so typical of Bollywood movies.
Over all, it is a beautiful story. The writing doesn’t linger on points that aren’t necessary. The story unfolds in an engaging manner, capturing your attention with its twists and revelations. So if, like me, you want to read a true love story, where passion is expressed in ways other than the characters unable to keep their hands off each other, definitely pick this one up. Even if you are a new romance reader, I recommend this book. its sweet, simple and moving.
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