Customer Reviews

Anahita's Woven Riddle

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I had the privilege of living in Iran for five years in the 1970's and I fell in love with the people and the culture. This book was researched for 10 years before it was written and the details are highly accurate but it is much more than that. It is a beautiful loving story which could have only have been written by someone who knows and loves Iran. For this reason the author was invited to present her book at the First International Children's Book Festival in Kerman.

Her work speaks to the qualities we identify as goodness that transcend all cultures and boundaries; it describes what we recognize as the qualities of compassion that we humans share, as well as the generosity, good naturedness and kindness that so predominate the common culture of the Iranian people at a time that a propoganda war has been mounted against Iran in a run up to another possible war.

A book that puts Iranians in such a positive light and speaks of their past struggle for a constitutional monarchy in 1906 to curb the excessive power of tyranical monarchs and empower the elected parliament, their struggle against Tzarist Russian expansionism, their struggle between traditional ways and modern change, between nomadic life style versus settled, their struggle between material and spiritual values, all helps those ignorant of Iran to better understand the Iranian experience and to put a human face on Iran.

Most of all this book makes the characters very believable...the struggles of a young girl against the social pressure to be married off in an arranged political union to someone she cannot love, which would benefit everyone in her tribe except her own chance at happiness, her struggles with the inevitable transition from childhood to adulthood, her first encounters with legitimate feelings of romantic love, her rivalry with her girl cousin, the humorous aspects of human existence, the admirable leadership qualities of her father, his fairness and courage to stand up against corruption, the self sacrificing loyalty of her childhood friend Daryioush, the noble qualities of the prince and the mystery of love at first sight which will always remain a mystery...

In the end this book leaves you with a heart warming glow and it becomes a friend you want to spend time with and not put down until it is read. It is not a Polly Anna fairy tale but rather quite realistic and yet the good guys win and the bad guys are brought to justice in a comic rather than cruel way...and the theme of weaving the carpet from sheep to work of art runs through the whole story, dying it, tying it together and leaving no loose ends until they tie the knot...and by the way, it is a suspenseful tale and full of surprises which will keep you riveted to it until the very end...

I highly recommend this book for the young and the young of heart,

Brian H. Appleton

An intriguing, romantic story about a young Persian woman's attempt to choose the man she will marry. Sounds like a reasonable goal, right? Not if the man who plans to marry you is the powerful khan. Not if the khan can shut off the town's water with a single command, or revoke the nomadic tribe's age-old right to traverse certain lands, or have your father arrested.

Ms. Nuttal has found a rich and wonderful character in Anahita, and the story of how Anahita decides her own fate by weaving a riddle into her wedding carpet is as moving as it is illuminating. A terrific read for most YA girls--and maybe a few boys, too!

Picked this book up in the library and enjoyed the story enough to want to own the hardcover for my collection. A nice, clear, well told story.
Highly recommend it!

It is refreshing to see a book about Iran (Persia) that shows it in such a positive light. And the characters, especially the protagonist, are well thought-out.

Knowing very little about the time and place, I will say that it has the feel of accuracy, and I like the vocabulary list and the cast of characters that help keep the names (so strange to western ears) straight.

I deducted one star for dialogue that I found annoying and false. Maybe people in Iran do or did talk that way, but it was jarring for me:

"Remember, Anahita, a good Muslim man may keep four wives if he has the means to support them..."

"This was the best way to attract a suitable suitor."

"It is as natural as our migration in the spring!"

These all seem like lines designed to fill in the westerners on things Persians would automatically know. Surely there might have been less awkward ways to say these things, even if it took a few sentences.

A good book on the whole.

I chose this book simply because I like to pick books about topics that I know little about. Although a book of fiction, I found myself learning much about the history of Iran (Persia) and the nomadic people who lived there. The story was well told and kept me interested and intrigued until the end. It was so good that I wasn't able to use this book to help me fall asleep as I often do with books in the evening. Definitely read this one. You won't be disappointed. FYI: I didn't realize until I finished the book that there is a glossary at the end with the meaning of the few Farsi words that the author uses occassionally throughout the book. While I got through the story just fine without it, it would make the book more enriching to refer it so be sure to do so.

Anahita's Woven Riddle just went up in the Kindle store as an eBook! I've been waiting for a long time for the digital version. Anahita's Woven Riddle

I didn't know much about Persian culture or nomadic lifestyles, but I am interested in rugs and weaving. Even if I weren't, this would be a fascinating and engaging novel. It captures the confusion and emotions of young love well, too! In the process of reading this engaging novel, I got as a bonus an intriguing introduction to classical Persian poetry. I learned about whirling dervishes and Sufism, too. I read this on a cross-country trip and was hooked from start to finish!

I should note that this is marked as a young adult novel, but it makes a good adult read, too. Highly recommended!

What a wonderful story with just the right amounts of every good story telling elements. I will be able to share this book with my daughters and friends. Awsome!

This is a lovely book! I highly recommend it to teen girls and also adults. It would be great for bookgroups. I can see why it was chosen one of the American Library Association's Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults.

Poetic and clean writing. Every word and metaphor and action is unifying. I was transported. The second time I read this book, I even annotated it, unraveling the way Sayres tells her story. Just stunning.