The Stationary Shop of Teheran (Marjan Kamali)

The story starts during the political coup in Iran in 1953. Roya is an idealistic teenager who spends a lot of time at the stationery shop of Mr Fakhri, a magical place full of books, pens bottles of ink and little trinkets. There, Roya meets Bahman and falls for this young man involved in politics, passionate about justice, and a great lover of Rumi poetry. The coup of 1953 will change the country, and the lives of Roya and Bahman for ever. Their lives continue, apart, until by accident, they reunite and can bring closure to questions left unanswered, truths unspoken, and the painful loss over all these years ago.
This book is beautifully written, and the characters are very deep and interesting. They are depicted in the context of Iran in the time of the 1953 coup and the right balance was found between the story and the context. I loved the sensory part of the book, the scents of the stationery shop, the touch and scent of the characters, and above all, the description of the delicious Persian foods, how they connect to traditions and times of the year, and how they are prepared.
This is really a strong story of how two people can have such an intense connection that although life has taken them to different directions, when they meet again in the twilight of their lives it is still all there, intact and deep and they can close the circle and find peace and closure in a beautiful way.
A very moving story I could not put down.