Is there a question you would like to ask the author about the story?

If you had the opportunity is there a question you would like to ask the author about the story?

Yes, did she base this on anyone she knew? I recently hear the author of The Waters speak and she shared that one of the characters was based on a friend of her mothers. If the author did what characteristics did she want us to know about this person?

I am curious why you listed the dates and years at the top of each chapter thru most of the book, but in the dinner section you chose not to do dates for several chapters. Why?

And why did you start spacing out the years, several first chapters are in 1981 then Chapter 31 becomes 1985. Chapter 33 is 1989. Chapter 34 1991. Chapter 50 starts with 1997. To me is was such a race of years, one minute Sara is a baby, then she is six, then twelve! Your reasoning for this?

Were your parents or yourself in a loveless marriage?
How many relationships of people you know, contractual?
Why did you hold back detailing disarmament ?

Loved reading about the roses. Does Iran still produce roses used in perfume?

Why did you choose to space out the latter half of the book the way you did? For example, years would go by between chapters.

I didn’t have questions about the pacing—it seemed to me this was a way to express the passage of time feels different, faster, as we get older. My question is: Where did the author grow up, what was her family background? Swedish like Patrik? Who introduced her to the Persian poets?

Sufi concepts are woven throughout the story, sometimes very subtly, sometimes more obviously. I thought this aspect of the book was beautiful and deeply moving. I would like to ask the author about her own involvement with Sufism, how that shaped approach to this novel, and how the story she tells is or isn't representative of Sufism in Iran.