Was there a scene of sensory imagery that stood out for you?

The author has a magnificent skill in engaging readers, Foremost in my mind is her use of sensory images - descriptions that appeal to the senses. Share an example that affected you.

Throughout, starting with the quote from a poem by Rumi, there is a connection made between the rose and the heart, in particular Amineh’s loving heart, and her cooking (including with rose petals) as a way to show her love for her family and guests. In particular it is a motif at important moments in her life: The air dripping with the scent of roses in her memory is bound up with the day that she lost her parents, with her love, grief and guilt for her parents… and later for Mahasti, the day when she finally opens up to Farzad about her guilt. Earlier that day, Jalalod-Din had put a rose in her teacup to rouse her from her despair, a kindness that spoke to her need to open up and share her feelings with her husband—as it inspired her to express her love in her dinner that evening.

Roses - their color, shape, scent - were woven throughout the book. Amineh's family grew damask roses for rosewater and perfume, and Amineh's mother told her that their family roses were "poetry come to life." In addition, the exquisite meals that Amineh cooked for her family evoked colorful images and layered smells, textures, and tastes. As I think about it, so much of the book involved sensory imagery, ranging from Jalalod-Din in the family garden to Mahasti's warmth of expression to the light of Sweden. The book offered a sensory feast to the reader.

I can’t really remember a specific scene, but any of the descriptions of Amineh’s cooking left the reader with multiple sensory images.

I was drawn into the lantern-lit garden in Tehran, with its musicians, Kashan carpets, pillows; ready to welcome the guests to the feast. Even Amineh's darkly chadored sister cannot dim the glow of the picture in my mind.