Ari Honarvar

"A magical journey to a world of mystical delights." -- Deepak Chopra, MD A Girl Called Rumi, Ari Honarvar's debut novel, weaves a captivating tale of survival, immigration, and the life-giving power of storytelling. Kimia, a successful life coach whose Iranian childhood continues to haunt her, collides with a mysterious giant bird in her mother's garage. She begins reliving her life as a nine-year-old girl in war-torn Iran, including her friendship with a mystical Afghani storyteller who led her through the mythic "Seven Valleys of Love." Grappling with her unresolved past, Kimia agrees to accompany her ailing mother back to Iran, only to arrive in the midst of the Green Uprising in the streets. Against the backdrop of the election protests, Kimia begins to unravel the secrets of the night that broke her mother and produced a dangerous enemy. She must choose between escaping or completing her unfinished journey through the Valley of Death to save her brother.

A Girl Called Rumi

Omar Fernandez

I just finished the book, so I'm still thinking through it. But here are some quick takes. 

The book is historical fiction and switches back and forth between 1981 and 2009. In 1981, we are taken to Shiraz, Iran, and mainly witness what's happening from the perspective of a rebellious and very active 9-year-old girl. Islamic groups have taken hold of government and are cracking down on those who don't follow strict social rules, mainly restricting women's liberties by requiring them to wear a hijab, not run in public or draw attention to themselves, and generally muting them. The Iran-Iraq conflicts mean that there's no stability, never knowing when a missile attack may impact civilians or ever younger people will be taken to serve at the war. We also get a glimpse of the girl's strained relationships with her mom and brother, while her dad is away at the war. 

When we shift to 2009, that little girl, Kimia, is now in San Diego, California. Her relationship with her mom is just as strained by the weight of many years of conflict and misunderstanding. Kimia's brother is in a funk of his own, and Kimia recently divorced. Kimia's mom, Roya, is getting older and suffers occasional PTSD-induced attacks from the pains of the war and conflicts in Iran in the 1980s. Knowing that her time is near, Roya forces her children to take her back to Iran, as she wishes to die in her homeland. 

The story unfolds beautifully, slowly revealing what happened in the 1980s and how it still impacts the family nearly 30 years later. Throughout the story, we also meet a mystical man, Baba Morshed. Elements of magical realism sprinkled throughout kept me reflecting and wondering, what is the meaning of this? 

I enjoyed the book. 

A Girl Called Rumi

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