4 out of 4 stars
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When I read the above passage, it reminded me of the World War 2 documentary films that I watched. The documentary films were about different victims and their dark experiences. Each story in this read reminded me of ways how people suffered, while the world watched.“As we get closer to the 30th Anniversary of the 1988 Massacre that eternally silenced at least 3800 men and women in less than four months, there are important questions that remain unanswered: the exact number of victims is uncertain; the burial locations of at least 1200 casualties are uncharted; and the identities of most people who were responsible for these killings are unknown...” (Dorgoly, p.12)
Mernegar Dorgoly has honored the people who died in the 1988 Massacre through her book The Buried Secrets Of Peonies which is a collection of 8 short stories. Each story provides a descriptive read, and each word filled with desperation in search of freedom. It’s a gut wreaking read that I would not recommend to sensitive people.
It's a story that will make you hear the endless cries of a mother for her child. It’s a story written inside the prison walls. A story that tells about a women’s stolen innocence. It's about a story of a daughter who never returned. Finally, it's about the secrets that lie within the grave (the story which touched me the most).
After I read the official review, I though to analyze this book myself. Even though I had an idea what this book was about I never expected it to be a deeply emotional challenging read. I rate The Buried Secrets Of Peonies 4 out of 4 stars. It was a touching, sorrowful read about the harsh reality that lies within a country at war. This story depicts the truth about how people suffer because of a group of ignorant and selfish people who put their needs and opinions before others.
In the start, the author takes us back to her days which was filled with innocence before she brought us back to the reality. The author's reference to death committees reminded me of the cold Nazi death camps.
The style of writing was free and well versed. Through each sentence, I saw what the author felt, and through her, I saw the pain of her people. The author was successful in executing a clear direction to her readers so her readers could understand what she wants to say. It was the unknown that lingered within her words.
The story takes us back to the political unrest in 1978 - 1988 between Iran and Iraq. In 1979 when the Iranian revolution abolished the Pahlavi dynasty by replacing it with the Islamic Theocratic Government people were killed mercilessly due to political reasons. Throughout the process families were kept in the dark, visitations were banned, and the prisoners were cut off from the outside world (Dorgoly, p.11), thus begin their untold stories.
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The Buried Secrets of Peonies
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