1/10/20
This is an autobiographical novel on Jews of Iran but in particular about the life that those in Meshed were limited to. The author was born in the States.
If a friend knocked on the door her farther told them she was not home or if they phoned so by third grade she practiced shrinking. Her mother at 14 married her father who was 34. They came from Mashed. It was the mother who uprooted the family with 2 young sons and took them to Manhattan where she out-cleaned and out cooked and outshone other housewives.
Her firecracker mother was to dupe, deceive and majestically triumph, and she realized that her dreams "If she can do it so can I" In Meshed as a hidden Jews in Moslem society she had learned to have multiple identities.
This was a society that believed that female illiteracy was a blessing that shaped girls into good wives. He father said the American notion of finding ones own mate "is a road to self ruin"
The empty doll box story with a 4 year old girl. The mothers "Don't touch me" He heed was shave to make her unattractive to protect her to suppress desires.
Her grandfather was Moshe Aminoff and he believed one had to live quietly and invisible. My father was a great man was all he would tell about his family. Her grandmother Tuti married at the age of 9.
The father was sent to school in England for 2 years.
722 BCE Assyrian King Shalmaneser V conquered Northern Kingdom - 10 Lost tribes into captivity.
586 BCE Babylonians expelled Jews from Judea.
634 to 1255 Dhimmis under the Islamic Empire.
1588 to 1629 Shah Abbas I, Jews forced to wear yellow badge and distinctive headgear.
1502 ShaH Isma'il founded the Safacid dynasty with Shia Islam as the state religion.
1739 Nadar Shah military expedition in India. Also brought 40 Jewish families to Mashad as treasury guards.
1747 Nadar Shah resulting in rampant antisemitism.
1839 Pogrom forcing all Jews to convert to Islam
1850 Israel Joseph Benjamin describes on his travels Jewish poverty and discriminations.
1905 Her father Fatulla Aminoff (Nissim is his Hebrew name) is born in Mashad
1906 Persia Constitutional Reform giving full rights to all minorities
1925 My mother Hana born in Mashad, her mother dies in her birth.
Homosexuality punishable by death in Persia
1935 Troops killed 1500 Moslems protesting against the Shahs modernization program.
1939 Albert her oldest brother is born
1940s Opium still legal in Persia.
1941 June Britain and Soviet Union invade to stop Germany getting oil fields. When Hitler invades Russia.
1946 Riots in Calcutta killing 15000 people They were in Bombay and watched riots at the time.
1946 Aaron already established in the USA advises them to come there.
1942David her younger brother born
1947 Arrive in San Francisco after 40 days at sea,
1949 Esther Amini born in NY
1950s McCarthyism period. Dr Horowits suggested they should speak to her only in English not a foreign language
The 1960s with Women's lib, flower power etic was compounded by confusion. Her father was convinced that every American wanted to abduct her. .
1971 She marries Saula dn the move to Jerusalem where he works as an architect.
1973 They return to NY and she divorces Saul
1980 Marries Ira in NY at small wedding.
1982 Aaron a son is born
1987 Marriam sister to Aaron born.
1996 Her father dies aged 90
2000 Her mother dies aged 75
Possible suggested themes
1 Names used show the inner family love and conflict.
2Why and how the mother wanted to become Americanized
3 The fathers pedophilia experiences in the Persian baths and the resulting protection of his daughter.
4 How her brothers influenced her to become educated.
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