Together Tea: A Novel

I very much enjoyed learning the ways & history of the Iranian people. The story emphasized the respect that Iranian families have for one another. It taught u about the foods & traditions that they bring with them to the U.S..The author described the difficulties of trying to adjust to the American way of life with freedoms. She made me appreciate life here in America.She accomplished all this by telling a warm & moving story about one family.

I have read two books from this author and each were very enjoyable. I learned quite a bit about Iran and Pakistan cultures.

This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to learn about Persian culture, contemporary Iran, immigration, and belonging. The book is told by the third person narrator, focuses on two characters: Mina, the daughter and Darya, the mother. It is the story of coming of age in US with Persian culture at home and American culture outside. The themes of immigration, cultural assimilation, and identity can remind the reader similar novels: Lipstick Jihad, Persepolis, and Namesake to name a few. The protagonists in all these novels, return to their homeland in their quest for their identity.There comes a point in Mina's life that she feels the need to go back to Iran to figure herself out. Ironically, Darya, who hasn't had any desire to go back to Iran, feels the need in her life to go back to Iran to make some sense out of her life: her relationship with her husband, Parviz and her infatuation with Sam. Despite the family's rejection: Parviz and the sons, Mina and Darya embark on their journey to Iran after living fifteen years in exile.The reader learns a lot about Persian culture, food, social etiquettes, and the resentment of Iranians for exiles for leaving them during the most pivotal time: Iran/ Iraq war. Mina finds herself in a similar and awkward position of defending the people of her country (this time US) for the actions of their government. She was upset at first for being treated as the one who left the country behind, but she was able to feel much empathy for her relatives for what they've gone through and felt the guilt over living in exile. She was able to reestablish her relationship with her best friend and find love. Darya realized Mina is very strong and can accomplish whatever she sets her mind into.. She no longer needed to use her spreadsheets to find a suitor for MIna. She will be OK with or without a man for survival. She accepted the realities of her life, her marriage to Parviz and her children's accomplishments. On the last day of their trip in Iran, Mina and Darya are in Isfahan, Imam Square, the famous Islamic architecture from the Safavid. Darya wants to make this trip very memorable for Mina. She knew of the famous coffee/tea house in the Thirty Three bridges. She tells Mina let's go there and have our "Together Tea.". This was very symbolic for Darya whose early memories in the US was of mothers and daughters having tea together & her wish that one day she will be able to have "Together Tea" with her daughter.

This book was filled with joyous love stories about a mother and daughter learning to live within the contradictions of marginalization and duality across time and across country, finding the folds of possibility,

At first I really liked this. My maternal side is from Iran (Assyrians) and I got a big kick out of recognizing the names of the food, the sprinkling of Farsi words I had heard my mother and aunt and grandmother say, and the struggles of Darya and her family as they tried to assimilate to the States after escaping the Iranian Revolution. But the book just lacks life. She tries, but she is telling the story, not showing it. After awhile I found myself checking ahead to see if anything interesting or exciting or even revealing was going to happen. Mina doing the guard in with the karate kick was the only spark in the book. Kamali is not without talent, but she has to decide if she has anything to say. She almost gets there when Mina feels herself wishing she lived in Iran despite the repressive and frightening restrictions, but she doesn't develop this angle enough. It's a shame. However, I was inspired to make my own sabzdi khouresh and pilaf, so it wasn't a total loss.

It was a truly feel good story. Loved the characters, enjoyed learning about Iran as a country that would have been wonderful to visit in a different time. Also appreciated the old fashioned virtue of chaste courtship.

I really enjoyed this novel, about an Iranian family that came over to the USA after the grandmother is killed by a bomb during the start of the Iranian revolution in the 1970's.I thought this was going to be just a fun light read, but this book had so much more to it. I saw it as a study of choices, and in a way the guilt, happiness and sadness that comes with those choices.The pull between the homeland and the adopted land, the traditions of their homeland being kept up even while not there.This story mainly focuses on the mother/daughter relationship and the pull between the modern day practices of the USA and those that the mother cannot forget from her life in Iran.Part way through the story, In the 1990's mother and daughter return for a trip back to Iran, to visit relatives that they were not able to say goodbye to when they left the country. Daughter Mina, wants to find out who she is and what is important to her, and the mother Darya, has never forgotten her life there. The time in Iran is rich in family, food, visual images of the beauty of the country, which I loved to read about, but as well the dangers of being back there at that time, with all of the strict rules applied to women. Here on this journey Mina is at last able to find a happy medium between her two worlds. I in a way could relate to her feelings of not really belonging to either country, as I was also born in one place but raised in another.

“She knew how to swing her legs on that hyphen that defined and denied who she was: Iranian-American. Neither the first word nor the second really belonged to her. Her place was on the hyphen, and on the hyphen she would stay, carrying memories of the one place from which she had come and the other place in which she must succeed.”Mina and her family fled Iran after the beginning of the revolution. She grew up as American but never could find her place. Her heart is still in Iran and it’s not until her and her mom return that she figures out the path for her life.

I purchased this after reading the excellent The Stationery Shop in Tehran by the same author expecting this to be the same. sadly it wasn't. In fact I was more than disappointed. This book is boring making it hard to read.

I loved this book so much! 100% recommend.It’s so rare to find a book with Iranian characters - especially dual nationalities - so I knew I had to buy this. The characters are so endearing, it’s truly a heart warming book. I’ve marked so many pages to come back to. The author explores families so well - buy this and you won’t regret it!

Love the story, really creative writer

I have read many books about the younger generation rebelling against traditions, especially arranged marriages. I was prepared for one more story, a quick and easy read. Well, it was quick and easy because I couldn't put it down. This book is very well written, the characters endearing and well developed and the story is told with humor but is never vulgar. The reason for the 4 stars instead of 5 is because I couldn't quite buy the 3 ladies meeting periodically to amuse themselves with advanced mathematics. I thought this was a bit far-fetched. I especially liked the journey back to a much-changed Iran seen through the eyes of a young Iranian-born American. The author gives us a glimpse of the rigidity and gender-biased new system, the fears it engenders and the determination of the younger generation to challenge same system. Enough is said to give the reader a very good idea of the new regime without resorting to theatrics. I found this all the more powerful because it was told very simply. I highly recommend this book and I can't wait to read more from Marjan Kamali.

I loved this book! I learned so much about Iran and have a whole new respect for their history and culture. The writer kept me engaged through the whole thing, nothing dragged for a moment. The characters were well written and enjoyable to spend time with. I felt I could completely identify with the main characters. I could easily "see" the scenery that was described. This book took me on a trip across the world.