Caspian Rain, by Gina Nahai is a well-written novel, detailing the cultural aspects and expectations of life in Iran before the revolution. The book is set against an extremely class-concious Iran, and a country that doesn’t entirely accept Jews. They are considered outsiders by many. The Jews of Tehran lean from lower-class to various grades of wealthy Jews, including those who befriend Muslims.
The narrator is a child named Yaas, who appears to her mother to be a thorn in her side. Yaas is narrating the story of her parents marriage, and how she seemingly has been the cause of its break up. She is caught in the middle of her parents unhappiness, infused with all of the guilt and burdens that children often carry when marriages are unhealthy and are disintegrating.
Yaas is not faring well in school, and her teachers think she is “stupid”. The communications that are sent home to her mother Bahar unsettle Bahar greatly Yaas can not live up to any of her mother’s expectations and dreams, expectations and dreams that her mother couldn’t achieve for her own self. She wanted to be a teacher, and had high hopes of becoming one. It was her primary goal in life. She envisioned a life of respect and one filled with contentment. She was excited regarding her goals for the future. That all changed when she met Omid.
Bahar met Omid quite by accident, one afternoon in Tehran. She was a young girl at the time, and happened to catch Omid’s eye while she was crossing the street. He was looking for a wife, and one that would be subservient and attend to his wants and desires. He is a man lacking in emotion, lacking in depth, detached. His expectations are not her expectations. He is from a wealthy Jewish family, and one that is more secular than a family that strictly adheres to Jewish ritual.
The family is very conscious of status, monetary items, and assimilating into the world of Iran, as they work their way up the social ladder. They are doers and movers, and appearances are vital to their aspirations to succeed. That Omid chose who he did for a wife has devastated and disgruntled them. The marriage does go on, however, and all is not what Bahar thought it would be, much to her dismay.
The conflict Bahar’s desire to teach causes turmoil, as Omid tries to keep the upper hand. Bahar is more or less put in her place, and constantly reminded of her status within the family. Her in-laws never fail to remind her of the fact they dislike her. Although Bahar has more than most, Omid and his family treat her less than humanly through their verbal interactions.
Bahar’s family lives in the Jewish ghetto, the poor part of the city. Her father is a cantor who can not get a job other than to sing at weddings, etc. Her mother is a seamstress who can’t really sew. She is honest, though, and her prices are inexpensive, so she gets work on those merits. Bahar’s sister is married to a man who abuses her. Her brother has dreams of becoming a singer, to no avail. There is one other individual, an entity who haunts the family…the “Ghost Brother”, a brother who died in a car/bicycle accident. Along with a few other quirky characters, Caspian Rain is a poignant and forthright look at life before the Iranian revolution.
Cultural mores and expectations are a central theme throughout the novel. Love and loss are predominate factors in Caspian Rain. Identity and failure are evoked within the pages. Women are expected to perform in specific manners, within a marriage, and within a family unit. Even the women married to wealthy husbands are expected to obey their husbands, and uphold strict appearances, so as not to embarass the family or cause gossip within the social spectrum. Through all the wealth they have, the women have given up their freedom and are repressed.
Nahai has written a book filled with vivid imagery of life during that time period. She demonstrates how the men hold the upper hand, and the women are stifled and held to a strict command. Repression weaves its way through the pages, as the story unfolds. Gina Nahai has given the reader a brilliant story, although a depressing one. The ending, although predictable, does not lessen the story line or the strong message within it. There isn’t much inspiration or illumination within the novel and that is due to the fact that life is portrayed as it was, factually, through all of the confinements imposed upon women. I recommend Caspian Rain to those who are interested in the cultural aspects of pre-revolutionary Iran.
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Sunday August 9, 2009 – 19th of Av, 5769
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