When the matriarch of Sarah's family arranged her marriage to Ali, it was with the intention of uniting two compatible families. However, as the 2009 Iranian election becomes contentious, political differences emerge and Sarah's conservative family tries to call off the wedding. Sarah and Ali, however, have fallen in love and, against the wishes of their parents, insist on going through with the marriage. Meanwhile, Ali's sister, Azar, is an activist, a divorce attorney, and a passionate Green Wave supporter, trying to enact change in a way that many Iranians see as inflammatory. Sarah, Sadegh, and Azar's stories weave together in a novel that demonstrates that, even as the world is falling apart around us, choices matter.
'Why struggle to open a door between us when the whole wall is an illusion?' A favorite poem by Rumi comforts Azar, separated from her husband as she is incarcerated by a cruel and murderous member of the militia in this gripping novel. It is a question of meditation for this character as well as for the reader of A Door Between Us, by Ehsaneh Sadr, and for anyone separated by hard-held political and/or religious beliefs ... Much of the forward movement in the novel takes place as characters explain their actions to other characters, as they try to unravel secrets and their own family history, but the final confrontation of the religious and political forces is riveting in its unpredictability, violence and redemption. It is a celebration of our connectedness, in spite of our best efforts to sort each other into Us and Them.
The wedding of Sarah and Ali is a joining of two hearts and two families; it should be a joyous occasion, but the families are feuding and the unrest in Iran 2009 keeps the couple apart just as they are beginning their lives together. Their story is at the heart of Ehsaneh Sadr’s beautiful novel A Door Between Us ... A Door Between Us is an intriguing and detailed read that explores the culture and a pivotal political moment with which many Americans are not familiar. The book tells a tale of truth, family, and justice with a beautiful love story at its heart.
Politics, family frictions, and divided loyalties collide in Ehsaneh Sadr’s engrossing novel, which is set during the aftermath of Iran’s controversial 2009 presidential election and subsequent 'Green Wave' protests ... This tangled web of coincidences is addressed via compelling storytelling that mixes gentle domestic humor with harrowing political intrigue. Life in Iran, where traditions and hidden secrets threaten to hamper justice at every turn, comes through. A monumental question hovers: How can one be an agent for change when repressive forces are forever in the way? The novel moves toward a bittersweet conclusion in which there are no easy answers, though there is the potential for change and hope. Intense, emotional, and rich, A Door Between Us is a stirring novel about the importance of conscientiousness and truth.
