Half a Cup of Sand and Sky cover art

Half a Cup of Sand and Sky

A Novel

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Half a Cup of Sand and Sky

By: Nadine Bjursten
Narrated by: Marzi Nikka
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About this listen

It is 1977, and the anti-shah protests at Tehran University are intensifying, but Amineh is not like her peers who want a say in the future of their country. Her thoughts are on the beautiful literature of another era and her past of rose harvests and Sufi poetry evenings under the desert sky.

A chance encounter with Farzad, an opposition leader and disarmament activist, will thrust her into a life she didn't ask for and didn't want. Nobody wanted the tyranny that is quickly turning worse than the tyranny it replaced. But maybe Amineh has been looking at her life all wrong.

Maybe the thing she is seeking is not in the past at all.

©2023 Nadine Bjursten (P)2024 Nadine Bjursten Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Political Middle East Iran

Critic Reviews

"Bjursten immerses readers in a life, a nation, and an era. . ." Publishers Weekly, Editor's Pick

"Brilliantly layered and beautifully written, this PEN America finalist is both a searing character portrait and an incisive examination of Iranian history, which is at once moving and illuminating." The Independent Review of Books, Reviewers Pick
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Most relevant
I was really excited to learn more about the history of Iran and thought following a woman through the years if her life was an intriguing approach, linked with a story of love and family. Instead, every element of this story fell flat. There was only brief glimpses into the history of Iran and the Persian peoples experiences of the tumultuous times. The love story disappoints and the family aspects detract from the story overall. I, along with my book club, are still trying to figure out what the point of the story was and what rhe author wished us as readers to take away from this book. The book club prompts were also useless, as you have to complete your own research independent of the book to answer half of them! Do yourself a favour and read something else!

Not worth 13 hours of your time

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