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)

interesting and unpredictable

A wonderful, colorful glimpse into a life both exotic (16th century Persia) and familiar (the young protagonist makes universal-type mistakes). My only quibble is that the narrator, whose gravelly low voice sounds like years of smoking and sex, can't pull off narrating a girl of 14, especially since the narration is supposed to be coming from a reminiscing session less than ten years later. Some of the decisions, stemming from the naivete of an unsophisticated youth, sound more idiotic when described by a clearly older woman. That made it hard sometimes to lose myself in the story, which was otherwise great at evoking images and even smells of another time and place.

Slow getting started but worth the effort

I almost gave up on the book after the first chapter but am glad I stuck with it! The narrator takes some getting used to and the first part of the story is slow but after the heroine moves to the city I got hooked. I really enjoyed the descriptions of the rugs and making them. Also glad the author didn't just tack on a fairy-tale ending but made it realistic.

Beautiful story!

Beautiful story. The book made me a stunning imagination of Iranian rug and their colors.
I learned alot about women situation and marriage life back in days with all details. And love how she felt different and strong from other women.

Phenomenal

A luxurious listen. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The ending is highly satisfying and the journey there delights both heart and mind. Wow. May relisten…

Enchanting

It’s so rare to find historical fiction about Muslim women. My only criticism about this audiobook is the reader’s voice is too mature for the protagonist, in my opinion. But the story was so gripping I stayed up way past my bedtime to soak it all in. I could taste the dishes and see the tunics. I love the feel of soft wool and wanted to knit the carpets. It was a sensational treat.

A beautiful tale full of beautiful tales.

The narrator’s voice, the luxurious prose, the fierce protagonist with miniature parables describing 17th century Iran.

One of my all-time favorites

I knew Iranian actress Shohreh Aghdashloo from her Oscar-nominated performance in The House of Sand and Fog, and hoped for another star turn in her narration of Anita Amirrezvanivs debut novel - I wasn't disappointed. Aghdashloo's deep, raspy voice is absolutely haunting, whether describing the (surprisingly) fascinating intricacies of rug-making or re-telling the Iranian folktales that are woven into the story. A colorful, lush tale that I didn't want to end.

Coming from a guy, I find little to recommend here

I could not find anything terribly interesting about the book. I liked the narration a lot. While it's not uncommon that I highly rate chick flicks, this book is perhaps one that can only be appreciated by a women. One of my Audible selections was He Said She Said and I through it I have come to understand that men and women by our very nature often do not appreciate the same kinds of things in life. If you are a woman, then maybe this book is for you; if you are a guy...

Enjoyable material

While I enjoyed the book, I almost gave up on it in the first 1/4 as I could not stand the quality of the reader.

Shohreh Aghdashloo's voice is lovely but...

Shohreh Aghdashloo is the narrator and her voice is like butter. I enjoyed listening to this but I didn't love the story. Maybe perhaps because there are too many despicable characters. Many of the men were absolutely awful people and some of the main female characters were portrayed as petty and catty. Some cool Iranian fables were sprinkled throughout. Sometimes they were good, sometimes they dragged on and took away from the story.