The Blood of Flowers

By: Anita Amirrezvani

Narrated by: Shohreh Aghdashloo

Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

In 17th-century Persia, a 14-year-old woman believes she will be married within the year. When her beloved father dies, she and her mother find themselves alone and without a dowry. With nowhere else to go, they are forced to sell the brilliant turquoise rug the young woman has woven to pay for their journey to Isfahan, where they will work as servants for her uncle, a rich rug designer in the court of the legendary Shah Abbas the Great.

Despite her lowly station, the young woman blossoms as a brilliant designer of carpets, a rarity in a craft dominated by men. But while her talent flourishes, her prospects for a happy marriage grow dim. Forced into a secret marriage to a wealthy man, the young woman finds herself faced with a daunting decision: forsake her own dignity, or risk everything she has in an effort to create a new life.

©2007 Anita Amirrezvani (P)2007 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Sumptuous imagery and a modern sensibility...make this a winning debut." ( Publishers Weekly)

Outstanding

Fantastic performance by the reader! This is an intriguing story of an improvising, talented, but rash girl as she comes of age. The compelling tale occurs in 17th century Iran and the setting and characters are richly drawn. Recommend it highly

Beautiful narration

A classic tale set in 17th century Persia, brought to life by a skilled narrator. Shohreh Aghdashloo's silken voice transports you back (on a magic carpet) to colorful bazaars filled with exotic rugs and fragrant spices. Five stars for her performance.

I learned so much!

What made the experience of listening to The Blood of Flowers the most enjoyable?

The performance is excellent, it put me in the setting. The plot intertwined stories, the craft of Persian rug making, and a woman's struggle to become her own entity in a more challenging place and time. So good!

What about Shohreh Aghdashloo’s performance did you like?

Her voice evokes the setting and mood perfectly.

If you could take any character from The Blood of Flowers out to dinner, who would it be and why?

It would have to be the lead, I would want to listen about rug making and tell her how times and resulting freedoms for women have changed and are continuing to change.

Beautiful!

Loved the window into the art form of carpet making as well as the culture and lives of women in Persia/Iran.

Really enjoyed this book.

Well narrated; interesting story; captivating glimpse of the iranian culture and woman's role in the society.

I liked this book...

...it was interesting, but sometimes scary to learn about a woman's life in Iran. It was nice that the woman turned out to be strong. The narrator did a very good job, I like that her accent is Iranian.

Hard to "put down"

Would you consider the audio edition of The Blood of Flowers to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version.

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoyed the culture, the spirit of the girl, the good story.

What does Shohreh Aghdashloo bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Her accent and pronunciation of names and places.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed it.

A Beautiful and haunting life of a woman.

Listening to the purest heart of a woman figuring out how to survive her fate is timeless.

Amazing story, i could not stop listening.

What made the experience of listening to The Blood of Flowers the most enjoyable?

The Narrator has a beautiful Rich and Resonant voice.

What other book might you compare The Blood of Flowers to and why?

Snowflower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See.

Which scene was your favorite?

When the heroine brought her Feathers Rug to the Harem and Mariam asked her to teach her to draw.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I warmed my heart and made me pray for the Heroine's success as a rug designer.

Wonderful story

Any additional comments?

When listening to audiobooks, I (being the picky person that I am) usually find that something is lacking either in narration, editing, or the story itself. However, this book is worthy of 5 stars. The story unfolds slowly and eloquently, with such beautiful detail that it feels like a rich dessert for the senses. Ever read a book that seemed to end before the actual story was over, as if the author lost the drive to continue and decided to leave the conclusion up to the readers' imagination? There were a couple points in the story where I expected that to happen- the author would simply end it and I'd be left wanting more. Luckily, this writer lovingly weaves the entire story together herself all the way through, leaving little left untold.