In 1977, the anti-shah protests at Tehran University are intensifying. But Amineh is not like her peers who want a say in the future of their country. Her thoughts are instead on the beautiful literature of another era and her past of rose harvests and Rumi poetry evenings under the desert sky. A chance encounter with Farzad, an opposition leader and nuclear disarmament activist, will thrust her into a life she didn’t ask for and didn’t want. But maybe Amineh has been looking at her life all wrong, and maybe what she seeks lies ahead of her. Spanning Iran’s upheaval and over twenty five years of work towards nuclear disarmament, Half a Cup of Sand and Sky is a portrait of one woman’s search for love and belonging cast against a nuanced backdrop of political turmoil.

Thank you so much to @netgalley, @nadine.bjursten, and @alderhousebooks for the ARC! This was a beautiful and moving story and I really enjoyed it! I learned a lot about Iran’s history through this book, and also loved how poetry was intertwined. This book was very character driven and each character was so well developed, even though Amineh was the only narrator for the vast majority of the books I loved Amineh in particular for her silent strength and resilience. The story was so moving and deeply explored themes of love, grief, guilt, and wanting to leave the world a better and safer place. Half a Cup of Sand and Sky is available now!