I am completely obsessed with this book. It's devastating and harrowing and awful but so god damn beautiful.

Shokoofeh Azar's first book, The enlightenment of the greengage tree, is one of my all time favourite books, and was also one of the catalysts in starting my journey across the world in books. So you can imagine that I was excited beyond belief to read an arc of The gowkaran tree in the middle of our kitchen. It took me a little while to read however, because I had to read it on my phone - netgalley, PLEASE fix your issues with kobo please thank uuuu. Anyways, it was worth it for Azar, who has once again proven to be one of my all time favourite writers.

This is an incredibly magical tale, and at first I had no idea what was going on. I was getting a bit worried that I wasn't going to love the gowkaran tree like I loved the greengage tree. I felt like I was lacking too much background knowledge to understand all the intricate details and symbolism. Because The gowkaran tree in the middle of our kitchen isn't just any old book. Reading this book is hard work, to be honest. Reading this felt like a collection of ancient myths. Spirits, gods and devils walk among mortals in this story. People disappear and return years later unchanged, people die and reach out from beyond the grave. About 20% in, when modern developments come into the story - it is set during the 1979 revolution in Iran - everything suddenly snapped into place. The rich prose, the unbelievable magic, the touching real life tragedies. The star crossed lovers and the philosophical questions. I honestly think this book is a masterpiece, the way it weaves together historical tale with family saga, love story and myth. I have never read anything quite like it.

Thank you to netgalley and Europa editions for the arc of Shokoofeh Azar's The gowkaran tree in the middle of our kitchen in exchange for an honest review!

I adored this book. Bringing together history, elements of magical realism and family saga, this is a lush and layered narrative.
I became so absorbed in Iranian politics and history. Certainly one for discussions groups or book clubs.

This epic and multi-layered novel was just too much for me: too much magic realism, too much folklore, too many myths, too much symbolism. It may be that I need to re-read it, but I’m not sure if I’m strong enough. It’s so ambitious that I feel it loses sight of its core premise and thus becomes overwhelming with its language, imagery and narrative structure. It tracks a Zoroastrian family over five decades beginning in the 1970s, from pre-revolutionary times, to the Islamic Revolution and on to the Iran-Iraq war: Iran’s past, present and possible future. It’s a sweeping family saga set against half a century of upheaval and tumult. The story centres around a mysterious Gowkaran tree that suddenly and unexpectedly grows in the middle of the kitchen of the family house, the still heart of them all. As the family endures revolution and war they fight to hold on to their cultural traditions and family cohesion. Supernatural elements are woven into the reality, with mythical figures and ancient legends abounding. There’s a vast cast of characters, mostly well-drawn and memorable, but with so many of them it was sometimes hard to distinguish between them, especially as two key ones have very similar names. The personal and the political are explored here to great effect but I found the language too lyrical and too dense. I enjoyed the real-life sections much more than the allegorical ones, and didn’t find it the immersive experience that some readers obviously have. A mixed bag and one that for me didn’t really work, although I am glad to have discovered it as it does actually give a lot if insight into Iran and Iranian culture.

A haunting and beautifully woven story of love, loss, and resilience, set against the turbulent backdrop of modern Iran, where family and culture fight to endure beneath the shadow of revolution.

The Gowkaran Tree unfolds over fifty turbulent years in modern Iran, a lush and layered narrative that beautifully interlaces politics, family, revolution, and reconstruction. At its heart lies the mysterious palace where twelve children vanished one long-ago night, each of their fates echoing the colourful and often painful destinies shaped by the immense cultural and political transformations surrounding them.

What resonated profoundly with me was the novel’s portrayal of a family’s determined effort to preserve the richness of Iranian culture and identity in the face of the sweeping Islamic hegemony imposed after the 1979 revolution. This struggle to hold onto memory, tradition, and love amid upheaval made me feel both the weight of loss and the quiet strength of resilience.

The Gowkaran Tree itself, anchored in the kitchen of a family home, became a powerful symbol of rootedness and endurance, a reminder that even in times of great change and uncertainty, there are connections and histories that refuse to be erased. The tree itself stands as a powerful symbol throughout the novel—representing resilience, memory, and the complex intertwining of past and present.

The prose is lyrical without being overwrought, carrying me through moments of joy, sorrow, and wonder. I found myself pausing to savour the descriptions, allowing the emotions to settle and resonate. Stunning writing. Ultimately, The Gowkaran Tree is more than just a story. It's an experience. It invited me to slow down, reflect, and appreciate the enduring power of roots - both literal and metaphorical.

*Born in Iran in 1972, Shokoofeh Azar was the first Iranian woman to hitchhike the entire length of the Silk Road. She worked as a journalist and field reporter in Iran, covering human rights issues. After several arrests in connection with her work as a journalist, on advice from her family she fled Iran in 2010 and was granted asylum in Australia, where she has lived as a political refugee since 2011.

This Iranian story gushes with dreamy imagery and magical realism. It uses many beautiful words and sentences. But I could not follow what was happening at all. I suppose that is somewhat the point in a magical tale like this, but I wasn't enjoying it and gave up at 25%.

Thanks to NetGalley and Europa Editions for this advance readers copy, in exchange for an honest review. This was a sweeping saga set against the backdrop of decades of Iranian history and revolution. This book was epic in scope and beautifully told, through lush prose and great elements of magical realism. I appreciate what the author was trying to do with this story but, ultimately it was a tough read for me. I did struggle at times to maintain focus and think the story could have benefitted from greater definition to the characters and story at hand. All in all, this may just not have been the book for me but, I look forward to seeing what others think as they read this!

generally really enjoyed this (i love reading about 20th century iran, and irani culture in general), but my enjoyment of it was somewhat bogged down by the sheer vastness of its cast; i think that focusing on fewer characters would have made this work substantially better.

deeply interesting magical realism story with very realistic and interesting characters. but at points, they blur due to a bit of a lack of distinction. 3.5 stars, rounded up. tysm for the arc.

Thank you to Shokoofeh Azar, Europa Editions, and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The premise was promising and the beginning was interesting but the book fell flat. Pacing was off and it it was too long. The writing is lyrical and beautiful though.

DNF at ~100 pages
At the very beginning I was captivated by the lyrical writing and the interweaving of magical realism and symbolism into a family saga set in 20th century Iran—a setting I was particularly excited to explore and learn more about. The early chapters showed real potential: the Gowkaran tree bursting through the family kitchen and the children’s journey through echoes of ancestral homes were rich with mystery of facing one's roots and heritage, which, once they emerge, can no longer be ignored.
But as I continued, the prose—while beautiful—became overwhelmingly dense. The narrative lost clarity and structure, and by the last 20 pages I read, I was left completely disoriented. Magical realism holds amazing potential in storytelling (and I’ve loved it time and again, especially in the works of Latin American authors), but here it became too much. I felt like everything wrapped in metaphor, and when everything becomes a symbol, you no longer can see the forest for the trees. I struggled to stay focused — not because I wasn’t trying, but because the storytelling demanded more mental effort than it rewarded. With around 400 pages still ahead, I couldn’t justify continuing a reading experience that was so draining.
Readers who enjoy abstract, nonlinear, highly symbolic narratives may find something here. After such a strong start I was, however, disappointed. This one just wasn’t for me.

I was ready to adore this book. The awards and honors it has received alone set me up to be enthralled...But, for me, this was a surprisingly hard book to get into. Some of that might have been due the temporary formatting (I read the book pre-release in exchange for an honest review). In the pre-publication version I read, footnotes popped up in the middle of the page several pages after they were initially mentioned. But I think there was more to it--the intro chapter did not manage to invite the reader in. I loved the magical realism at the story's center--a tree bearing assorted fruits and birds suddenly pops up in the middle of the family kitchen. But the rush of characters blended together and, sadly, I was only able to read the first couple of chapters and could not force myself to go on. This rarely happens. In fact, I think it has only happened a handful of times in my nearly 6 decades of reading. I hate to leave a full review based on two chapters...but if I feel this way, I suspect others will, as well.

Sometimes, reading a novel on the iPad instead of in print, I don't realize the length of the novel. Azar's novel is rather epic, covering a long period of history in modern Iran, with stories told by several children, each story finds a connection with another tale, a mystery revealed, a loss to linger upon, outrageous revelations, and deeply disturbing cruelties are revealed. I did love the tree in the kitchen being such a central focus of the novel. Very engaging novel.

“ Stories succeed stories, just as one human succeeds another, time succeeds time, and no death has ever commenced with birth, and no being has ever been the continuation of non-being.”

This book was an absolutely spectacular read. Having read a few books with the backdrop of Tehran and then 1979 revolution, I truly felt like this book encapsulated much of the knowledge I had previously learned while also teaching me so many new things about life in Tehran pre and post revolution. The author does a beautiful job weaving the storyline with historical events while also adding a beautiful backdrop to the characters, their families, and love overall.

I would highly, highly recommend you add this book to your TBR because it is well worth the time and emotion this book evokes. Thank you again NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!

“The Gowkaran Tree in the Middle of Our Kitchen” is the latest novel by Shokoofeh Azar, an Iranian author and a finalist for both the International Booker Prize and the National Book Award, currently living as a political refugee in Australia.

In "The Gowkaran Tree," we follow the lives of a family and a group of children as they face the upheaval brought by the start of the 1979 Iranian Revolution. The novel is narrated through a lens of magical realism that highlights Persian and Arabic culture, as well as Zoroastrianism, Mithraism, and Islam. It also weaves in historical facts that provide context to help readers understand the origins of these events and the costs borne by the citizens. Moreover, it serves as a cautionary tale about the rise of religious extremism, the war on women, and the persecution of political dissidents in today's world.

Azar explores the bonds of family, including connections between the living and the dead, and how individuals survive and find joy amidst tragedy. It is a visceral and cinematic story of love, revolution, and loss.

I advise readers to review content warnings before diving into this novel. Like real life, the book contains both wonderful elements—such as imaginative delight, warmth, and love—but it also showcases humanity's darker aspects. I highly recommend this book and believe that fans of Kaveh Akbar’s “Martyr,” Marjan Kamali’s “The Lion Women of Tehran,” and Simon Jimenez’s “The Spear Cuts through Water” will appreciate this read. Thank you to Europa and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this very emotional and compelling book.