Song of a Captive Bird by Jasmin Darznik

Song of a Captive Bird by Jasmin Darznik

LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER.A spellbinding debut novel about the trailblazing Iranian poet Forugh Farrokhzad, who defied society's expectations to find her voice and her destiny

"A complex and beautiful rendering of a vanished country and its scattered people, a reminder of the power and purpose of art, and an ode to female creativity under a patriarchy that repeatedly tries to snuff it out."-The New York Times Book Review(Editors' Choice)

All through her childhood in Tehran, Forugh Farrokhzad is told that Persian daughters should be quiet and modest. She is taught only to obey, but she always finds ways to rebel-gossiping with her sister among the fragrant roses of her mother's walled garden, venturing to the forbidden rooftop to roughhouse with her three brothers, writing poems to impress her strict, disapproving father, and sneaking out to flirt with a teenage paramour over cafe glace. During the summer of 1950, Forugh's passion for poetry takes flight-and tradition seeks to clip her wings.

Forced into a suffocating marriage, Forugh runs away and falls into an affair that fuels her desire to write and to achieve freedom and independence. Forugh's poems are considered both scandalous and brilliant; she is heralded by some as a national treasure, vilified by others as a demon influenced by the West. She perseveres, finding love with a notorious filmmaker and living by her own rules-at enormous cost. But the power of her writing only grows stronger amid the upheaval of the Iranian revolution.

Inspired by Forugh Farrokhzad's verse, letters, films, and interviews-and including original translations of her poems-this haunting novel uses the lens of fiction to capture the tenacity, spirit, and conflicting desires of a brave woman who represents the birth of feminism in Iran-and who continues to inspire generations of women around the world.

Praise for Song of a Captive Bird

"If poetry is emotion rendered incendiary, then Forugh Farrokhzad was made of fire. . . .Song of a Captive Birdis an unsparing account of the necessity and consequences of speaking out."-BookPage

"Sometimes, simply choosing whom to love is a political act."-Vogue

"Forugh Farrokhzad's short life brimmed with controversy and rebellion . . . .This feminist icon inspired Darznik's imaginative debut."-Ms.

Jasmin Darznik is a writer who has contributed to the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and other publications. She was born in Tehran to an Iranian mother and a European father. She is a professor at Washington and Lee University and holds a degree in English from Princeton University.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780399182334
ISBN 10	0399182330
Title	Song of a Captive Bird
Author	Jasmin Darznik
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Random House USA Inc
Year published	2019-02-05
Number of pages	432
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.