Veil of Roses -- So Much to Discuss!
Lately, my own book club has really changed
how we talk about books. It used to be that we focused on
the intricacies of the story itself. These days, we barely
talk about the books at all, but rather the questions they
provoke about our own lives -- it's always all about us, right?!
I love my book club! From left, meet Julie,
me, Emily, Lori, Melody
and Michelle. Other members were off bettering themselves
at school or vacationing.
In that spirit, here are a few questions that
I think your book club would have a fun time discussing after
reading Veil of Roses. If you live in a city that has a Persian
restaurant, I highly recommend your book club meets there
for a feast you won't soon forget. Ask if they can play some
Googoosh music for you, then pop open a bottle (or three)
of wine and get talking!
1. Toward the end of Veil of Roses, Tami learns
a secret about her mother that shocks her, yet which also
helps her understand her mother better. FAMILY SECRETS --
we've all got 'em. Now, which ones are you willing to share?
(And please, email and tell me the juiciest ones!)
2. "Sometimes you've got to hold your children
close and sometimes you've got to let them go." Poor
Nadia says this more than once in Veil of Roses, and Tami
remembers it later as she's making the most important decision
of her life. How well do you think your own parents did in
this regard? And if you're a parent, how well have you done
in knowing when to hold your kids close and protect them versus
letting them go to learn some of life's hardest lessons on
their own?
3. At times, Maryam is simply insufferable,
isn't she? And yet, no one loves Tami more, and the frustrating
things she does are all done with the best of intentions.
Have you ever experienced a similar relationship as Tami and
Maryam, where someone whose love for you knew no depths and
yet caused you no end of grief?
Click
here for Bantam Dell's Reading Group Guide!
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Yes, I'd love to visit with your book club, by
phone or in person if you're in Tucson. Click here
to email me. It's never too early to book an author chat for
One True Theory of Love - get it on your club's reading list!
Recipes
Persian Wishing Soup
My sister-in-law, Shadi, told me about this soup while I
was working on Veil of Roses, and I loved the idea so much
I had to include it in the book.
This is how it works. Say I've got a wish (for example, that
readers of Veil of Roses love it so much they feel compelled
to tell their friends, who tell their friends, who tell their
friends..). So, I invite a bunch of friends over to my house
some morning and instruct them to bring one of the ingredients
for the soup. Later, they come back to enjoy it with me and.my
wish comes true! It reminds me of a prayer circle, only you
get to break bread and share food with your friends, too!
Ingredients (serves 8-10):
Soup
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
- 20 dried apricots, sliced in thirds
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 3/4 cup rice
- 10 cups chicken broth
- Half-can of chick peas or garbanzo beans
- 1-2 squirts of lemon juice
Lamb Meatballs
- 1/2 pound ground lamb
- 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- A pinch of ground cinnamon
- A pinch of pepper
- A pinch of salt
For the lamb balls, mix together all the ingredients and
roll into 1-inch meatballs. Brown in frying pan. In a soup
pot, heat a few tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat.
Add the onion and cook on low. After three minutes, add the
rice and the turmeric, stir. After three more minutes, add
everything else except the beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce
heat, add the meatballs and simmer about 20 minutes. Add the
beans and cook another 5 minutes.
Enjoy, and may all your wishes come true!
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