A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea

A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea is the debut novel by Dina Nayeri  The novel tells the story of Saba and her twin sister Mahtab, growing up in 80's Iran after the revolution. When they are 11 years old, a terrible accident happens, and Saba is unclear whether Mahtab is alive or dead. Her only memory is seeing her get on a plane to America with their Mother.

After Mahtab and her Mother disappear, Saba begins fashioning tales of their life in America. She grows up with her wealthy Father in a small village outside of Tehran, and fills her world with illegal tapes of Western music, movies, and magazines. She learns English on her own and is determined to go to America one day and find her Mother and sister.

Nayeri is a wonderful storyteller, and I felt transported to a small village in Iran. The story is told from many perspectives, including the village women who stepped in to help raise Saba after her Mother disappeared.

A sad, yet beautiful novel. Highly recommended.

The Shoemaker's Wife

The Shoemaker's Wife, the latest from Adriana Trigiani, is a sweeping family saga following the lives of two Italian immigrants at the turn of the century who move from their small villages in the Italian Alps to NYC, meet, eventually fall in love and start a new life together in Minnesota. This story is based on the lives of Trigiani's grandparents.

Being the grandaughter of Italian immigrants myself, I loved this story. It tells the tale of hardworking immigrants trying to make a new life for themselves in a new place, all the while sending money home to Italy to help build a better life for their families there. This is a well researched novel full of beautiful details that bring the places and people alive.

I've always enjoyed Trigiani's novels, but this is my favorite so far. Recommended as a great summer read.

The Newlyweds

The Newlyweds by Nell Freudenberger is a novel about a marriage between a Amina, a young woman from Bangladesh, and George, an engineer from Rochester New York. They meet online and marry a year later, The novel tells about Amina's new life in America and her quest to bridge the gap between the two cultures. The novel is loosely based on the life story of a woman who Freudenberger met on an airplane.

Freudenberger creates real characters that the reader can relate to. I cared deeply about what was going to happen to Amina and her family, and couldn't put the book down. The novel is a wonderful view into Banladesh culture as well. A very good read.