Helpful Score: 11
This is one of the best stories I've ever read, and that is saying alot. When I finished reading this, I felt like I could truly accomplish anything, and I started looking at the world differently--as a beautiful place and not as the ugly things that I sometimes focus on.
This is the story of a young Iranian woman who comes to America for a 90-day visit to her sister and brother-in-law (whom she had not seen in about 10 years). Her parents sent her in the hopes that she can find an Iranian-American man who will marry her, thus giving her a better life in America. Women in Iran are treated less-than-human, and she shows us this as she shares her confusion and then excitement over seeing how free American women are, such as when she sees 3 young women talking and laughing over coffee at a Starbucks that she passes each day on her way to and from English classes.
This young woman is someone I would love to be friends with, but I feel she would do more for me than I would for her as her appreciation over what I consider to be mundane details are highly contagious. :-D
This is the story of a young Iranian woman who comes to America for a 90-day visit to her sister and brother-in-law (whom she had not seen in about 10 years). Her parents sent her in the hopes that she can find an Iranian-American man who will marry her, thus giving her a better life in America. Women in Iran are treated less-than-human, and she shows us this as she shares her confusion and then excitement over seeing how free American women are, such as when she sees 3 young women talking and laughing over coffee at a Starbucks that she passes each day on her way to and from English classes.
This young woman is someone I would love to be friends with, but I feel she would do more for me than I would for her as her appreciation over what I consider to be mundane details are highly contagious. :-D
Helpful Score: 6
This is a great cultural novel. It opened up my eyes to the freedoms we Americans take for granted. It also has a great story, without being too preachy.
Helpful Score: 6
Great story! Quick and easy read. At first I thought the writing/story was a little too simple. I guess I was expecting something more deep. This book is more like chick-lit, almost. BUT, the story was still good and I couldn't put it down. My hubby said I was smiling while I read it. =)
Helpful Score: 4
This book will capture you from the first chapter. I read the book in 2 days. This is a very easy read, but it also makes you think and appreciate the things that we take for granted.
Helpful Score: 4
This book was GREAT. I can't believe this was her first book. It is a fast read. I could hardly put it down.
Helpful Score: 4
I wish the book had gone deeper into the culture of womenin Islam. I did get a sense of what it's like to be an Islamic woman in the United States...We take so much for granted!
Helpful Score: 3
love the book and really made me think about our freedoms as Americans
Helpful Score: 3
This is a great book to help learn about the culture of women in Iran. It is the story of a woman who travels to America to find her freedom and a husband, but finds this more difficult than she expected.
Helpful Score: 3
loved this book. great to see what foreigners face in our country
This was a really good read. The plot was a bit predicatable, but it was well-written and the characters were well developed and likeable.
Helpful Score: 2
I don't think that this book is close to reality and although a novel, it should have been to real life.
Helpful Score: 2
I did not think I would like this book as I normally do not like books written in the first person nor those about contemporary topics but on the urging of a friend I decided to read it.
Wow! am I glad I did. A wonderful story that really opened my eyes to how many freedoms I enjoy as an American woman that I just take for granted. I felt all of Tami's pain and joy over the various situations she encounters and it made me grateful for what I have in my own life. I highly recommend this book.
Wow! am I glad I did. A wonderful story that really opened my eyes to how many freedoms I enjoy as an American woman that I just take for granted. I felt all of Tami's pain and joy over the various situations she encounters and it made me grateful for what I have in my own life. I highly recommend this book.
Helpful Score: 1
This story has a light fun style to it, but what you really learn in the book is that life in Iran has zero freedom for a woman.
Helpful Score: 1
I've got a confession to make. While reading my book club's latest selection, Laura Fitzgerald's Veil of Roses, I got SO crazy with what was going on that â¦
I skipped to the end of the book to see what happened.
Yep. I peeked. I cheated. I couldn't take being left to dangle in the story. I couldn't trust the author to take me â and her characters â in the direction I really wanted them to go.
I haven't done this in years.
Oh, sometimes I'll look at the last sentence, or the last page â usually if I'm bored for some reason. Sometimes, I'll keep referring to that last page to get the final number of pages in the book, and sometimes, I'll catch a sentence here or there. I try to avoid anything that'll give the ending away.
Not this time. I HAD to know. So⦠I peeked. Knowing the outcome took the edge away; you know that edge, the one where you can't stand not knowing if the Happily Ever After is going to come or not. The one that actually hurts and keeps you from reading. Instead, you skim and, in this case, miss out on some incredibly poignant writing. I couldn't let myself do that. I had to absorb all of this book.
I've spent a lot of time the past few days trying to figure out why I had to do this. Why the temptation to look was so absolutely overriding. And this is what I came up with:
Fitzgerald's protagonist, Tami, comes from Iran. She's been repressed and she knows it. Coming to America is her chance to escape all that, to reconnect with the fuzzy memories of the time her family spent here when she was young. She comes seeking the answers of who her mother had been back then, a woman who wore a pink bikini. The mother Tami knows⦠she can't wear things like pink bikinis. And if she could, Tami's not sure she would. Who is this mother in the picture? Tami needs to know.
Tami feels the pain of her repression. She says things like âFreedom means not even being aware you're freeâ (p. 62). and âFeeling the sun on one's body should be a basic human right afforded to allâ (p. 185).
Such sweet sentences. Poignant. Piercing. Holding a weight of truth beyond much of anything I've read of late.
This is a woman who is fully aware of the horrors of the life she lives. When she doesn't understand a free sample at Starbucks and coincidentally a pair of cops show up to feed their addiction, she panics, convinced she's going to be arrested. Time and again, she compares the ease of life in America with the repression in Iran.
Her scars from this lifestyle, if one can call it that, are palpable. And Tami is so very likeable, we want to see her rise above this repression she came from. We need her to. This isn't merely a story of a woman coming to America to find a husband. (In fact, when the idea of mail-order brides is raised, it's quickly dropped.)
No, this is a story of good versus evil. Of the freedoms of democracy versus the evil oppressors of the world.
No wonder I had to peek.
(Another side note: I usually agree with Publisher's Weekly reviews. That's why I read them. However, I don't agree that this book has a disposable plot â because for me, the plot becomes secondary to what's really going on. I'm disappointed the reviewer couldn't see that.)
I skipped to the end of the book to see what happened.
Yep. I peeked. I cheated. I couldn't take being left to dangle in the story. I couldn't trust the author to take me â and her characters â in the direction I really wanted them to go.
I haven't done this in years.
Oh, sometimes I'll look at the last sentence, or the last page â usually if I'm bored for some reason. Sometimes, I'll keep referring to that last page to get the final number of pages in the book, and sometimes, I'll catch a sentence here or there. I try to avoid anything that'll give the ending away.
Not this time. I HAD to know. So⦠I peeked. Knowing the outcome took the edge away; you know that edge, the one where you can't stand not knowing if the Happily Ever After is going to come or not. The one that actually hurts and keeps you from reading. Instead, you skim and, in this case, miss out on some incredibly poignant writing. I couldn't let myself do that. I had to absorb all of this book.
I've spent a lot of time the past few days trying to figure out why I had to do this. Why the temptation to look was so absolutely overriding. And this is what I came up with:
Fitzgerald's protagonist, Tami, comes from Iran. She's been repressed and she knows it. Coming to America is her chance to escape all that, to reconnect with the fuzzy memories of the time her family spent here when she was young. She comes seeking the answers of who her mother had been back then, a woman who wore a pink bikini. The mother Tami knows⦠she can't wear things like pink bikinis. And if she could, Tami's not sure she would. Who is this mother in the picture? Tami needs to know.
Tami feels the pain of her repression. She says things like âFreedom means not even being aware you're freeâ (p. 62). and âFeeling the sun on one's body should be a basic human right afforded to allâ (p. 185).
Such sweet sentences. Poignant. Piercing. Holding a weight of truth beyond much of anything I've read of late.
This is a woman who is fully aware of the horrors of the life she lives. When she doesn't understand a free sample at Starbucks and coincidentally a pair of cops show up to feed their addiction, she panics, convinced she's going to be arrested. Time and again, she compares the ease of life in America with the repression in Iran.
Her scars from this lifestyle, if one can call it that, are palpable. And Tami is so very likeable, we want to see her rise above this repression she came from. We need her to. This isn't merely a story of a woman coming to America to find a husband. (In fact, when the idea of mail-order brides is raised, it's quickly dropped.)
No, this is a story of good versus evil. Of the freedoms of democracy versus the evil oppressors of the world.
No wonder I had to peek.
(Another side note: I usually agree with Publisher's Weekly reviews. That's why I read them. However, I don't agree that this book has a disposable plot â because for me, the plot becomes secondary to what's really going on. I'm disappointed the reviewer couldn't see that.)
Helpful Score: 1
this book is so overrated. i found it very boring
I really liked this book. It was a fun and easy read. I finished it over the 4th of July holiday on vacation at the beach it made me feel very fortunate for being a US citizen.
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoyed reading this book. I thought it would be a bit different than it was, but it was a good but easy read. It isn't a quick read because it is written poorly, it is just a nice, vacational-type read.
Helpful Score: 1
Again good story but the language. Can an author ever refrain from using the f--- word?I was enjoying the story then all that came about. The ending was predictable. Otherwise a good read. (They should have ratings like for movies!)
Helpful Score: 1
An absolutley wonderful book, very hard to put down. Tami's innocense is adorable and being half Persian myself I could relate to the many cultural similarities.
Helpful Score: 1
This story is like pink cotton candy. It's pretty, it's simple and there's not much substance. The ending is predictable and far too easily wrapped up. I don't know what I expected really but I thought there would be something more meaty and meaningful to a story about a young modern Iranian woman coming to the USA for 3 months. The story didn't stay with me. I read it and then I didn't care about the story at all. This is no Kite Runner or Reading Lolita In Tehran. I would call this immigrant chick lit. This book could have been so much better if there was some depth to it.
This story is easy to read. There's nothing overly disturbing. Tamila is a fish out of water. She has lived in the USA when she was very young but after a lifetime in Iran after the Islamic Revolution she has few memories of her toddler days in the USA. She comes to the USA for a short visit to visit her only sister who is married and settled in Arizona. She needs to find an American willing to marry her or she will have to go back to Iran at the end of the 90 days. I'm glad I got this for free. I'm not sure I would pay to buy this book.
This story is easy to read. There's nothing overly disturbing. Tamila is a fish out of water. She has lived in the USA when she was very young but after a lifetime in Iran after the Islamic Revolution she has few memories of her toddler days in the USA. She comes to the USA for a short visit to visit her only sister who is married and settled in Arizona. She needs to find an American willing to marry her or she will have to go back to Iran at the end of the 90 days. I'm glad I got this for free. I'm not sure I would pay to buy this book.
Helpful Score: 1
I read this in one day, I could not put it down. I laughed and cried. Great book... Must read if you like chick lit!
I was excited to read this story, but when I reached the end of the book, I felt let down. The themes were obvious and over simplified. The characters were predictable, as was the ending. The writing was simple, and with such an intriguing subject, I expected so much more. Despite the shortcomings, there were parts that brought a smile to my face, and almost brought a tear to my eye, but that was mostly due to the reflection I was doing on my own life compared to some of the women in the story. Is it the worst or most disappointing book I've ever read? No, it's not, but it definitely left me wanting for more.
A good story of a woman leaving her traditional ways behind and learning to put herself first. A little unrealistic ending, but still, well worth the read.
An easy light read, but I found the strict divide along the cultural lines to be lopsided and tiresome. Strong undertones of "look how awesome the west is compared to Iran? Aren't you glad that you're in the west? And those poor Iranian women! Aren't they lucky to have escaped here too" which grated after a while. "Strong Female Protagonist" kind of wasn't and I thought the end of the book tied things up a little too nicely. My favorite character ended up being SFP's brother in law, who basically just popped into the watch the situation bemusedly.
Meh.
Meh.
a story of cultural differences between the West and Iran...very educational about what women and the society of Iran go through when they do not feel safe from their government
I loved this book. The insight into the lives of woman in Iran was amazing and disturbing. Arranged marriages are a way of life there. Living in the United States, we take so much for granted without even realizing it. I read this book in two days and will pass it onto my cousin, then mom, then friend before reposting. In other words, you must read it!
Disappointing. The book had great potential but the story line was simplistic and unrealistic.
Interesting book. Well written and kept you wondering about what was going to happen.
good book except all is well that ends well. It is so so unlikely that Ike would have fallen in love with Tami. But no Laura Fitgerald thinks that this is an easy solution for the novel to end with. Otherwise the book was really good.
Incredibly beautiful story - touching and thought-provoking
I highly recommend this!
I highly recommend this!
I enjoyed this story so much...it even made me cry in some parts. I was able to lose myself very easily in the story; it felt REAL! What an amazing debut!
This was a cute book, to me it seemed like it could be a real story. It was touching to see how much this immigrant from a country with less freedom, really appreciated the freedoms we have in the United States. I really liked her search for love and the other relationships she made along the way. I started reading it on a plane ride and didn't go to sleep that night until I had completed the whole book.
A truly haunting and scary book-a young girl comes here from the Middle East and is still trapped by the beliefs they hold. A good look at what we as American woman take for granted. Hopefully our country will stay this way. Not a long book, maybe little too Hallmark movie at the end, but still an enlightening read.
The author's character development made this book an easy read. Can love prevail over family expectations? Read it yourself to find out!
A truely beautiful story.
Loved this book. Opened me up to a whole new topic of books. Can't wait to get my hands on more.
Veil of Roses by Laura Fitzgerald is the story of a girl from Iran. Her parents send her to stay with her sister in America in the hopes of her finding a husband there so she can stay in America permanently. Tami enjoys the freedom of being a woman in America. She enjoys little things like being able to walk to her English class by herself. She has a passion for photography and captures these little moments of freedom- like a girl enjoying a coffee at Starbucks or her first pair of tennis shoes- with her camera.
She makes friends in her English class with people who are all very different from her. But her main focus and the focus of her sister is to find her an Iranian husband before her visa runs out so she can stay in America.
The book follows her on her journey of discovering freedom and trying to find a husband. Complicating matters is her developing friendship with an American guy named Ike.
It was a great book. A quick and easy read. I really enjoyed reading it while I was in Dubai because every woman I saw in a headscarf I would image as the main character. It really opens your eyes to some of the little freedoms we American women take for granted everyday. It was a funny and sweet story.
She makes friends in her English class with people who are all very different from her. But her main focus and the focus of her sister is to find her an Iranian husband before her visa runs out so she can stay in America.
The book follows her on her journey of discovering freedom and trying to find a husband. Complicating matters is her developing friendship with an American guy named Ike.
It was a great book. A quick and easy read. I really enjoyed reading it while I was in Dubai because every woman I saw in a headscarf I would image as the main character. It really opens your eyes to some of the little freedoms we American women take for granted everyday. It was a funny and sweet story.
Super easy read. The story moves quickly and kept me interested. Highly recommend it!
Very good book. Once you start reading it you won't want to put it down.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters are interesting and believable. The story also makes you think about how you live your life and realize how much you really have.
I wish I could have even had the heart to finish this book,I kept telling myself it will get better but no.What I was hoping for an slight glimpse into what it really was to have culture clash.Instead I got a spineless heroine who not even in a new country for 24 hr is in a red dress with lipstick urg..If you like Harlequin dribble then this book is for you,if not please do not waste your credit,a thirteen year old writing a story on fan fic.com could do way better.
I really enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down!
An absolutely wonderful story - very well written and to top it off, it continues in the next novel, Dreaming in English! You'll love it!
I took the book to read on vacation and somewhere I lost it in the airport along with another book. No one returned them so I hope they enjoy reading the books.
