Shokoofeh Azar – författare

*SHORTLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE 2020**LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD 2020*“If ever there was a book that needs to be read more than once, this is it.”—ArtsHub“A book that keeps on giving.”—Brona’s Books“Extraordinary.”—The Irish Times“Compelling, delightful and powerful.”—David’s Book WorldA family story about the unbreakable connection between the living and the deadSet in Iran in the decade following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, this moving, richly imagined novel is narrated by the ghost of Bahar, a thirteen-year-old girl, whose family is compelled to flee their home in Tehran for a new life in a small village, hoping in this way to preserve both their intellectual freedom and their lives. But they soon find themselves caught up in the post-revolutionary chaos that sweeps across their ancient land and its people. Bahar’s mother, after a tragic loss, will embark on a long, eventful journey in search of meaning.The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree speaks of the power of imagination when confronted with cruelty, and of our human need to make sense of trauma through the ritual of storytelling itself. Through her unforgettable characters, Azar weaves a timely and timeless story that juxtaposes the beauty of an ancient, vibrant culture with the brutality of an oppressive political regime."Not only richly imaginative but also emotionally powerful." - 1st Reading's Blog“Her novel ... embodies Iranian life in a state of constant “oscillation”, bringing into play “opposing poles” — like life and death, religion and politics ... — to evoke the extent of damage by an oppressive political regime.” - The Indian Express

From the International Booker Prize and National Book Award finalist Shokoofeh Azar, The Gowkaran Tree in the Middle of Our Kitchen is a stylistic and emotionally powerful novel about a large, complicated family and a love affair lasting decades.Spanning fifty years in the history of modern Iran, this lush, layered story embraces politics and love, revolution and reconstruction as it recounts the destinies of twelve children who, one night long-ago, get lost inside a mysterious palace.In Azar’s new novel, each lost child’s story unfolds against the backdrop of immense cultural and political transformation, where lovers must survive war and revolution to keep their flames alive, and family bonds are tested—especially those between the living and the dead. The Gowkaran Tree in the Middle of Our Kitchen is also the moving tale of one family’s efforts to preserve the richness of Iranian culture in the face of Islamic hegemony following the 1979 revolution.