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Primi del Novecento, nel quartiere ebraico di un villaggio persiano, Omerijan. È notte e Flora Ratoryan, la figlia del macellaio, non riesce a dormire. Shahin, il marito, un mercante di stoffe giunto da una città sulle rive del Mar Caspio e subito rivelatosi un incorreggibile furfante agli occhi delle donne più avvedute, l'ha abbandonata con "un bambino nella pancia" e un'irrefrenabile "voglia di cocomero". Flora, che ha solo quindici anni, si dispera come solo una sposa bambina può fare. Sarà vero, come sussurra l'intero villaggio, che il suo triste destino viene dall'aver concepito, in una maledetta notte di eclisse lunare, durante la quale "anche le galline avevano posato uova marce, rosse di sangue"?
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Persian Brides is a novel of rare beauty and extraordinary accomplishment. Set at the turn of the century in the fictional Persian village of Omerijan, it tells the magical story of two young girls -- Flora and Nazie Ratoryan -- and their many neighbors in the almond tree alley in Omerijan where they live.
Fifteen-years-old, pregnant, and recently abandoned by her cloth-merchant husband, Flora longs desperately for the return of her unborn baby's father. Nazie consoles and pities her, and though she is still a child of eleven, she yearns -- just as desperately -- for her own future marriage. Although the narrative spans only two days, it branches out and back, encompassing the lives and histories of many of Omerijan's inhabitants.
Rabinyan's vivid depiction of the village is a sensual feast, recreating the odors and flavors, the colors, sounds, and textures of everyday life. A masterful blend of fantasy and reality, the narrative forcefully conveys the shocking cruelties endured by many of the characters while at the same time weaving a modern-day Arabic legend where snakes offer jewels in exchange for milk and death is thwarted by appeasing the village demons. Written with passion and elegance, Persian Brides brings a rich array of characters to life -- telling of their hardships without ever losing the magic and wonder that is so much a part of their lives. |
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