This is a very sad story but a very worthwhile read. It is a commentary on how a country's culture can affect the outcome of a person's life. ( )

Iranian jew — poor — shah let Jews out of ghetto — some became muslims
married young gave up all/husband lover
ghost brother — deaf
"may always remember sister with joy"
Pg 16 imperfect forever changing truth that we call memory

In the decade before the Islamic Revolution, Iran is a country on the brink of explosion. Twelve-year-old Yaas is born into an already divided family: Her father is the son of wealthy Iranian Jews who are integrated into the country’s upper-class, mostly Muslim elite; her mother was raised in the slums of South Tehran, one street away from the old Jewish ghetto.

I just feel like other writers (see recommendations above) describe and elicit pre-revolutionary Iran so much more vividly. I was very excited to read this and had had it in my Amazon "wish list" for ages before I ordered it (saving up for a big order). Ultimately, though, I was left with a very dry, unsympathetic narrative. I did not connect whatsoever to the characters. Unfortunate. ( )

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 embarrass 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. Divorce is a stigma that nobody wants to endure.

Nahai has written a book filled with vivid imagery of life during that time period in Iran. 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. ( )

Spændende og rystende beskrivelse af 1970´ernes Iran. Kvindens stilling, et barn, der mangler kærlighed. Forskellen på rig og fattig. Levende og smukke beskrivelser af barnets følelser. ( )