Unusual, haunting ... Chapters include heart-wrenching accounts of other women inmates’ past lives ... The fragmentary assembly can make for a disorienting read, especially when trying to track characters or understand basic facts about their alleged crimes and Iran’s judicial system.
A blindsiding blend of horrifying concrete detail, dizzying surrealism and wild optimism. In every line and in every moment it attempts to recreate, it is entirely and unconditionally defiant ... Cakes, biscuits, puddings might seem trivial, but they are potent signifiers of pleasure, creativity, the body demanding sweetness and comfort. Many of her recipes ask us to cook them in our own kitchens, and to eat them with joy. It’s hard not to agree, with respect and with gratitude.
