What readers think of In the Time of Our History, plus links to write your own review.

Perhaps the immigrant group I know the least about is that of the Iranians who came to the United States after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. This novel gave me insights into the world that they forged for themselves as they raised their U.S.-born children and adapted as best they could to the new reality, while attempting to preserve elements of their culture. One could argue that such struggle is common to all immigrant groups, but it must be recognized that each group has its own twist on this struggle. In Pari's novel, by focusing mostly on the women, the author helps us to see that the one aspect of the Iranian story is that the women aren't used to having independence. In fact, at one point toward the end of the novel, Shireen tells Mitra, "…forgive me, but I was not raised in a world where this kind of life for a woman was possible. And I did not have the imagination to see it." (p.295) "This kind of life," is that of a strong independent woman who can choose not to marry, or who can stand up to her husband if she does marry. As the Jahani family deals with tragedy, sexual abuse, and interpersonal conflict, the reader comes to see that family dynamics have across ethnicities are more similar than they are different. I look forward to more books by Susanne Pari and am grateful to her for giving me a vehicle to see into a world with which I was only minimally familiar.

The discussion questions included at the end of the book will, I'm sure, be helpful to book clubs.

I found this book to be rich in atmosphere and full of sympathetic characters. As the granddaughter of refugees to the US the large family gathering scenes are absolutely spot on. I have aunties just like them! Although I did not find Mitra's reason for her sterilization once that part of the book was over, I found Mitra completely believable and sympathetic. Hidden family secrets, patriarchy and nepotism, and the modern American women's ideas mix together in a realistic situation at the 1year anniversary of her sister's death. Susanne Pari writes excellent characters, ones that I would love to meet in person. The revolution in Iran serves as a background to the family's immigration and their individual difficulties in adapting to the US are informative. And on top of this, it's a very engrossing book, hard to put down. Recommended for those who are interested in fiction concerning immigrants and Iranian family life

Can one be modern and traditional at the same time? The multigenerational Johani family of Iranian immigrants has family members who are trying to adapt and assimilate to their new lives in the United States. The main character Mitti is a thoroughly modern second generation immigrant; her patriarchal immigrant father who is a successful property developer has thoroughly Iranian traditional values, morals, and ethics. Then there are a multitude of other characters who are struggling between modern and traditional, all having secrets. Pari does an excellent job creating and developing interesting characters who we learn about not just through action and conversation but through mental tussles over tradition, modernity, feelings. It's the strong character development and insight into the Iranian mind that make the book an interesting read. The role of women, the role of marriage, the role of sexuality are investigated. Look for conflictions and entanglements. To get additional insight in the Iranian immigrant experience without as much emphasis on implication of sexuality, compare this title with the older Funny in Farsi: a Memoir of Growing up Iranian in American by Firoozeh Dumas (Random, 2003) or Lipstick Jihad : a Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America and American in Iran by Azadeh Moaveni (Public Affairs, 2005).

This is the story of an Iranian family in America. Although the main character, Mitra, was born in the United States her family held on to many aspects of the Iranian culture. Besides being a good story the reader will learn multiple characteristics of the Iranian people who are often unfairly judged.
At first I had a hard time relating to Mitra's behavior, especially towards her younger sister Anahita. However as the story progresses the author does well developing the depth of the persons in the book particularly Mitra and her mother,Shireen.

This book would make an excellent choice for a book club discussion. The various characters and their behaviors would challenge many and bring up differences of opinion which make these meetings worthwhile.

This book chronicles the lives of an Iranian immigrant family and how their lives change over generations. It reads like it could be any immigrant family's experience so at times feels redundant.

The synopsis of Susanne Pari's book intrigued me from the beginning. Since both of my parents grew up outside the United States, I am always interested in reading first generation tales. Mitra, the main character, idolized her father as a child and followed his career footsteps in becoming a builder and contractor. However, I did find Mitra to be a rather cold woman who scorned the more convention lives of her mother and sister. Many different family members and friends flit in and out of the narrative and they were a bit difficult to keep straight. Mitra did change her outlook by the end of the book but I found her redemption to be a bit hollow. I did appreciate learning how all the different strands of this family intertwined and interacted.

A very interesting, emotional roller coaster of a book.
Two generations of Persians... Iranian born and American born. How does the immigrant parent relate to the American born child. How does the American child exist in an old world culture dividing their time between two worlds. I have known first generation born Indians and Syrians and thought I could relate to how they see the world, but I've never actually focused on the parents trying to make a home in a brand new world with old world values.
Even though this book is specifically about a Persian family, I feel that many of their issues would apply to first generation families of other countries.
If you're interested in reading about family issues and relationships I would recommend this book.

Pari's novel has a slow start and is a little difficult to become invested in. The early portion of the novel has a lot of descriptive passages that don't particularly add anything to the plot or characters (i.e. long-winded descriptions of clothing or surroundings). I also found the italicized portions that preceded each part distracting, and while the language is lovely in these stylized sections, they don't add to the overall story.

What is great about this novel is its themes of family and found family, and the strong female characters who are complex and realistic. There is a sense of immersion into the world of an Iranian American family and their complicated relationships. However, many of the male characters are overly simplistic - particularly the protagonist's father, Yusef, who is a bully with few redeeming qualities.

The end of the novel is not entirely satisfying, and the addition of new characters and plot points near the end dilute the story. Overall, the book could have been great rather than just good with some additional editing and focus.