Half a Cup of Sand and Sky, Nadine Bjursten, author
Merging fact and fiction, the author has succeeded in illustrating the contrast between the once great Persian nation, known for its Human Rights Charter, and what it has morphed into as an Iranian Theocracy, with little emphasis on human rights.
Aminah is a young, impressionable girl. This is her story. She has dreams of a successful future, but the country is in turmoil as rebellions against the Shah are on the rise. The people want more freedom and better conditions. Her husband supports the Shah. He is also actively working toward a Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to stop the spread of nuclear weapons in Iran and the rest of the world, and he often seems too consumed by his work.
The author accomplished the goal of illustrating a more nuanced view of Iran and the Iranians. She exposed their humanity, so that we are able to understand that their battle cry for freedom, though it was often ignored or went unheard, was indeed legitimate. Unfortunately, although they were advocating for more human rights, they got, instead, far fewer. Foreign interference, like that from the United States, and the more religious, who did not support the westernization of Iran, weakened their cause and allowed the exiled Ruhollah Khomeini back into the country. Khomeini was a political and religious leader who does bring down the Shah. Khomeini becomes the first supreme leader, and he establishes the Islamic Theocracy.
Using the romantic involvements of Aminah, as she matures, the author was able to illustrate the softer emotional side and personal life of her characters, exposing the real Iranian. With the change in government, Iran became fraught with betrayal and controversy. Family and friends now had to compromise themselves to survive under a totalitarian regime. The country soon became unsafe for some of the most loyal subjects. The Ayatollah demanded strict obedience and many of the punishments for infractions weighed more heavily on women with extreme punishments. Although Aminah believed she was entitled to the freedom of choosing the kind of life she dreamt of, she was also a captive to her culture which told her to be, first and foremost, a good wife, devoted and loyal, even when treated in a subservient fashion. When she finally freed herself to follow her dream, she was a mature woman living in another country. She began to understand her own husband and their deep attachment to each other, which she often questioned.
As the book came to a close, I wondered how many people, still in Iran, were trapped by the system and could not escape. An expatriate often misses their homeland, but cannot return without regime change. Also, sadly, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty that finally became a reality, has not been that effective.
The novel, with short and easy to read chapters, covers the time period from late 1977 to 2009. As the people rose up against the Shah with hopes of a more independent Iran, the country descended from a parliamentary constitutional monarchy into a theocracy known as The Islamic Republic of Iran. Be careful what you wish for, because often, you get something far different.