Persian Dreams by Maryam Tabibzadeh is "A strong and powerful intimate tale of one family's greatest struggle in a time of pain for all..."

 

Maryam Tabibzadeh was born In Darab, Pars in Persia (Iran) . She earned her masters degree from Shiraz University and moved to the U.S., where she attended graduate school at SUNY Binghamton. Ms. Tabibzadeh has been writing and publishing stories and poems in her native Persian for more than 20 years. She currently resides in Raleigh, NC.

Maryam has always been a source of pride and admiration due to her social progressiveness, her educational achievements in Iran as well as in the US, her professional accomplishments, and most of all in her parenthood for raising two beautiful children.

Maryam left a lasting impression when I met her closely in our home in Shiraz for the first time when I was 13. Since then, I have always admired her spirit from close and afar, and have appreciated her commitment to keeping in touch with the family.

Through war and peace, loss and triumph, the strongest among us do what they can to hold onto their dreams. Maryam Tabibzadeh?s rich novel invites the reader to experience one hundred years of Iranian history through the eyes of its passionate characters.

Talah: Born in the late nineteenth century to a well-to-do family, she must find a way to survive after the loss of her second husband.

Baback: In an era of great social change, Talah?s first son struggles with his faith as he becomes involved in a heated love affair.

Nosha: Strong and ambitious, the daughter of Baback won?t accept the second-class citizenship that her country has traditionally forced upon females.

Interwearving fact and fiction, Persian Dreams brings to life a culture and history that is largely unknown to Westerners, revealing a family, and a story you will never forget.



Persian Dreams By Maryam Tabibzadeh Paperback, 6x9 in, 404 pages Iceni Books, March 2006
ISBN: 1587364867
 

REVIEWS

Persian Dreams by author and poet Maryam Tabibzadeh is a historical masterpiece of fiction that is a gripping and powerfully crafted story


Persian Dreams by author and poet Maryam Tabibzadeh is a historical masterpiece of fiction that is a gripping and powerfully crafted story of three people whose lives and struggles propel them (and us) through one hundred years of history in a country of  poverty, political conflict, and war.

Persian Dreams is a competent and dynamic debut novel by Maryam Tabibzadeh who successfully weaves the stories of women in Iran in the early twentieth century who are trying to gain rights is a strict, controlled and conservative society. This story is a lesson and character study of Talah, a woman who devotes serious effort and energy into survival after the loss of Baback, her second husband. Talah: Born in the late nineteenth century to a well-to-do family, she must find a way to survive after the loss of her husband.  Baback: In an era of great social change, Talah's first son struggles with his faith as he becomes involved in a heated love affair. Nosha: Strong and ambitious, the daughter of Baback refuses to accept the second-class citizenship that her country has traditionally forced upon females.

In an interview the author says, "Like American 'Gone with the Wind' and Russian�s 'War and Peace'; Persian Dreams combines the sweetness of romance with the bitterness of revelation and war. This story is told from the unique perspective of a woman between lands. It shows the inward nature and inside perspectives of the people of Iran, specifically the women, leading up to and directly after the revolution of 1978. This perspective is unique because we usually get a picture of this from the outside, from the American or foreign point of view, but here we see the situation from the inside. The historic lesson is only further enhanced by the sweet romantic events of a family through three generations.
Based on mostly autobiographical events, this novel is both sweetly nostalgic and simultaneous educational. It opens the door to the inner workings of Iranians and their history, even while giving us pretty images and poetry to dance on the frames of our minds. Its uniqueness lays in this duality. "

Persian Dreams is a winning and successful voice of women and for women who need and want to be heard. This book's strength is visually powerful and will move every reader looking for a high standard of literary substance and into the minds and hearts of Persian Culture.  The first line of the book states, "Let's travel, travel back in time and go back a century ago."

Maryam Tabibzadeh was born In Darab, Pars in Persia (Iran) and has always been a source of pride and admiration due to her social progressiveness, her educational achievements in Iran as well as in the US, her professional accomplishments.

Maryam has delivered a poetic and relevant story (with Persian Dreams) of adventure, romance and history as she says, "I could reach both the younger generation of Iranians in America, and Americans themselves to educate them somehow on where we have come from and what has led up to the current situation." " Persian Dreams is a passionate story is not only a worthy first read but one that the reader will want to 'go back' to again and again.

Persian Dreams Maryam Tabibzadeh Paperback, 6x9 in, 404 pages
Iceni Books, March 2006
ISBN: 1587364867
Reviewed by John Weaver PageOneLit.com

 

Barnes&Nobles site
Thursday, May 04, 2006
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&isbn=1587364867&itm=4

"A reviewer, a history lover and writer., May 4, 2006, Love stories reveal Persian history and roles of women I was drawn into the plot through the plights of the articulate characters, all of whom were well woven together into this orderly collage of Persian experience. The amount of Persian poetry (translated) was amazing. The author had memorized all of it and it flowed smoothly into the story line. I don't usually have the patience for novels, but this was an exception. Besides its ability to capture my mind and time, it was an easy path to explore the intricate political and cultural worlds of Persia (Iran). I could not put this book down."

James Cox
Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA)
Monday, May 08, 2006
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/sbw/may_06.htm#fiction

"A strong and powerful intimate tale of one family's greatest struggle in a time of pain for all, May 8, 2006 Reviewer: Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) A timeless novel, Persian Dreams by author and poet Maryam Tabibzadeh is the superbly crafted and engaging story of three people whose lives and struggles propel them through one hundred years of history in a country of everlasting poverty, continuous political struggle, and the destructiveness of war, Persian Dreams follows the diverse character setup of Talah, a woman striving for survival after the loss of her second husband, Baback, Talah's first son whose struggle with faith and religion becomes his greatest in the midst of a growing love affair, and Baback's daughter Nosha who relentlessly aims to escape the second-class citizenship forced onto the women of her country. Persian Dreams is very highly recommended reading as a strong and powerful intimate tale of one family's greatest struggle in a time of pain for all. "

Early Praise for Persian Dreams:
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"Persian Dreams, Tabibzadeh's quietly powerful debut novel, weaves the stories of various Iranian women in the early 20th century trying to gain rights in a strictly patriarchal society. Th e story's heroine, Nosha, wants to become a medical doctor- an ambitious desire in an era governed by conservative tradition. Tabibzadeh delicately takes the reader through a personal history of Iranian women's rights: from the years of traditional obedience at the mercy of their husbands and fathers to the 70s, when it was common practice for womenvto vote, go to college, and choose their own spouses. Each story uniquely manifests the courage of women brave enough to protest against a violent, abusive, male-dominated society. At the same time, the author presents the beauty of Persian poetry and its role as the voice of an oppressed nation crying for change. Each character represents a different social position, and together, they form a delegation of classes that make up Iranian society. Many women accepted their low status passively because the male population determined the extent of their social roles; not all women were in a position to challenge this system, as can be seen in the characters Leah and Roodabeh. However, other women, like Nosha, exemplify those who were aware of the injustice of gender discrimination and considered the fight for natural rights a patriotic duty. By trying to become a medical doctor, Nosha forges a place for herself as an individual in her society. Tabibzadehs elaborate and lavish descriptions of places, events, and characters take the reader into the heart of Persian culture; with the books conclusion comes a real understanding of the struggle Iranian women have gone through, and the history behind their hard-won rights so far!!!
BY: Shahnaz Peyman Pal Alto, California


"A sweeping tale of romance and adventure.” That’s often what we hear with regard to works depicting foreign lands, broken hearts, and love unrequited. Maryam Tabibzadeh incorporates so much more in her achingly visual recounting of life in Iran across the vivid political and cultural span of the last century. She gives voice to the struggles of women wanting to be heard, to be counted, and to be loved and offers answers through the eyes of men shaped by a nation that no longer exists. The stories - and there are several - are wrapped in the lilting poetry of Persia. I suggest you read it in a quiet secluded place, so you can hear the movement of the sand...
By: Alexis Dobbins CEO, writeRelations.com "

 

Maryam Tabibzadeh is a featured Interview author at TheBookStoreConnection.com and PageOneLit.com