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Read Pomegranate Soup (2006)

Pomegranate Soup (2006)

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Rating
3.57 of 5 Votes: 5
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ISBN
0812972481 (ISBN13: 9780812972481)
Language
English
Publisher
random house trade paperbacks

Pomegranate Soup (2006) - Plot & Excerpts

Set in the fictitious village of Ballinacroagh of County Mayo in western Ireland, the book opens with three sisters working feverishly as they count down the minutes to the opening of their new café – the Babylon Café. It’s here that Marjan, Berhar and Layla are planting their roots after having fled Iran during the Iranian revolution of 1979 via Pakistan to the safe shores of London. Having toiled in the U.K. for a while, they have found solace in the beautiful country of Ireland, where they feel they can put the past behind them and start afresh by recreating the wonderful foods they grew up with - dolmeh, red lentil soup, baklava, dugh yogurt drink, abgusht, elephant ears, lavash bread, torshi, chelow, fesenjoon, pomegranate soup, etc. Each chapter begins with a recipe and through the wonderful and exotic aromas and flavors of Marjan’s cooking we experience the cathartic play of food and its significance in the lives of the three sisters. But Iranians settling in the village of Ballinacroagh is not an everyday occurrence; people are curious – the aromas emanating from the Babylon Café are different, tantalizing, strange. There’s excitement – let’s check out the new people, the café, the foods. Others are not too thrilled – who are these strange foreigners bringing their odd foods and ways into a peaceful village, where people have known each other for years. We come to experience the everyday goings on in Ballinacroagh – the inquisitive neighbor, the parish priest, the mischievous boys, the village bully. As the three sisters strive to attract customers and make their café a success, they painfully experience flashbacks of their time in Iran and what they had to endure before fleeing a revolution that continues to haunt them. A beautiful piece of work, wherein the storyline of the present is flavored with the past through the rich and fragrant ingredients of the foods prepared. I really enjoyed this book, much more than I thought I would – a highly recommended read.

Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran is an infectious, witty, humane story of magic realism. Set in a quaint Irish village called Ballinacroagh, it revolves around three sisters who have escaped the revolution in Iran - Bahar, Layla, and Marjan. Haunted by a violent past, the three foreigners treat Ballinacroagh as the refuge they long for in their life - with a restaurant called Babylon cafe that serves exotic Persian food.There is nothing thought-provoking about Pomegranate Soup. The writing is fluid, and moves the narrative without taxing your brain. The characters are all clear set - the good, the bad, and the ugly are told to you almost from the beginning. You know the ending of the book even as you begin reading the book. Yet, I liked Pomegranate Soup. It left a pleasant taste on a Sunday evening - the feeling of having spent a few hours lost in another world, yet not feeling like you have lost those hours. It is a delectable journey into Persian cooking, Irish living, and small-town sentiments and traditions.Critics have pointed out the novel's astounding similarity to Chocolat. I haven't read that book, although I did see the movie but I can imagine how it might be similar. In both, the foreigners are treated with suspicion by the locals in a small town, and the magic of food, heady aromas and kindness of common people contrives to create an entirely pleasant effect. I cannot justify the criticism completely having not read Chocolat, but aye, let me be shameless here - if it was copied, I enjoyed the copy. :-).Oh well, Pomegranate Soup was not a literary triumph, but it was fun to read. Utterly delicious.

What do You think about Pomegranate Soup (2006)?

Light and easy reading this is a tale of 3 sisters who escape the brutal and terrorising effects of the Iranian revolution and one of their sadistic husbands. Arriving at a small town in Ireland they set up Babylon Café making sumptuous and exotic Persian foods and soon the town is seduced by such delights as fresh herb kuku, lamb abgusht and elephant ear fritters washed down with jasmine tea from a samovar. Braving the bullying and catty locals they win over the majority of the town and soon love and friendship helps soothe away the terrifying memories and the sisters feel peace and happiness. Like Chocolate and La Cucina food takes prominence and permeates the story with it's detailed preparation and spicy aromas. There's even recipes too if you want to really join in with the fun.
—Jenny Macdonald

A lovely lighthearted read about a family of three Iranian sisters who move to a small town in Ireland. They set up a cafe selling Persian food and the sights, smells and tastes of the food they prepare permeates the book. THe obvious issues of 'fitting in' are explored and some of the small minded townspeople do their best to ostracise the sisters. Structurally this book isn't a masterpiece but it achieves its purpose. Best of all each chapter starts with a recipe of the dish that the sisters make in that chapter.
—Miss

This book was very wonderful for what it was--a delicious mixture of food and the personal journeys of three sisters who escape Iran on the eve of the revolution and eventually make their way to Ireland. This book pleasantly reminded me of another book about the magic of food from another culture--The Mistress of Spices. We learn of the sisters' experiences in Iran through flashbacks throughout the book, and I really appreciated Mehran's light touch in her descriptions of the sisters' painful memories. In my opinion, too many books are heavy-handed and overwhelming with sadness when they flashback to such events. Mehran had just the right combination of sadness and facts that made me want to learn more about this terrible time in Iran, but did not frighten me away from the violent history. In Ireland, the sumptuous exotic spices of the sisters' cooking reinvigorate the aspirations of the townsfolk in Ballinacroagh and bring them together. I (of course) was hungry the entire time reading the book and would love to try some of the recipes that Mehran includes before every chapter. A yummy light read that delivered all it promised. I am looking forward to discussing it at my book club on Monday and will post any other revelations our discussion brings. On a happy note, this might be my most successful book club pick ever--thanks Holyn for joining GoodReads so I could read your review!
—Rebecca

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