![]() ![]() And it appears that Hozar tried to cram in as many examples of the suffering the Iranians endured, no matter what their belief system or economic status. ![]() The novel is historical, not autobiographical. Hozar was born in Tehran and moved to Vancouver as a child. It also helps if readers have some knowledge of Iranian history during this time. But as a narrative strategy, it can be confusing. The third person point of view shifts from character to character and through time and place in a somewhat incoherent manner, perhaps mirroring the turmoil facing individuals and the country. ![]() ![]() Hozar’s cast of characters is vast although each one has an effect on Aria, and to some degree is affected by her. While the baby is saved from death in the freezing Tehran night, her childhood is full of abuse from her new mother Zahra. Abandoned as a newborn under a mulberry tree by her mother Mehri, who fears the baby’s father will kill her, Aria is found by a man who takes her home to his wife. Nazanine Hozar’s debut novel tackles the chaos of Iran from 1953 to 1981 by focussing on the life of its title character, Aria. On March 12, 2020, Hozar’s Aria was one of five books shortlisted for the 2020 Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize of the BC and Yukon Book Prizes - Ed. Toronto: Penguin Random House (Knopf Canada) ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |