The Daughter Who Walked Away

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book. I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I couldn’t put it down, just wanted to know what was happening next.

Kimia Eslah's debut novel The Daughter Who Walked Away is a gorgeous meditation on family and love - told in exploration of the lives of three Iranian women across three generations. It is also an important work in its deft handling of the effects of mental illness and unresolved childhood trauma. As we seek to understand one another better in this world, works like Eslah's allow readers the chance to both learn more about the people and history of Iran, while also deeply focusing on those themes that connect us within our shared humanity.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Kimia Eslah, and Roseway Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All thoughts expressed are my own.

A well written, interesting read. It’s an addictive story that keeps you wanting more. Thank you to both NetGalley and Fernwood Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest unbiased review

Our introduction to Taraneh Pourani is as a loving mother and wife who is estranged from her parents and so her husband takes the children on their annual visit to their maternal grandparents whilst she becomes more distressed questioning her decision and her memories of the events that led to this breakdown in family relations.

The plot then returns to early 20 Century Iran, and her grandmother, Batoul who at the age of nine was sent to live with her husband’s family. She is somewhat traumatized to think that her aunt has left her with this strangers and from this point she suffers with feelings of unworthiness and incapable of engendering love from others. Her life is one of poverty and shame and she continually strives to do her duty and be a good wife and daughter-in-law. Her love for her mother-in-law is palpable whilst her love for her husband is duty. Her daughter Mojegan assimilates these feelings and although she is a nurse in Tehran and is confident of her abilities and status when she marries Reza, a charming, handsome but impulsive man, her fate is sealed. She is a dutiful, obedient wife and despite his alcoholism and their dysfunctional family she struggles with the reality of her existence, particularly when he moves them all to Canada. This is compounded when Reza in a flourish of masculine superiority expels their teenage daughter, Taraneh from the home and Mojegan supports him by offering her daughter some money and demanding the return of her house keys!

There is no doubt that Taraneh must have been considered somewhat of a nightmare to her parents. She did not conform in her appearance, demeanour or sexuality but to abandon her to fate! Nevertheless she strives against poverty and isolation and mental health issues to make a good life for herself.

Although I enjoyed this book, I must admit that I did struggle a little with it but I find it hard to pinpoint exactly why. I found the writing style somewhat different almost hesitant or a translation. However, that said it never lessened my enjoyment of it and perhaps enhanced it inasmuch as it emphasised the ‘otherness’ of a different culture; not the protagonists but my otherness, my outsider status. I was a witness to the reality of these women’s lives; the harshness, the shock of being wrenched from one life to take up position in another completely different life – one without the support of your extended family and in a changing political climate. My absolute favourite character was Batoul with her enormous propensity for love and understanding; her quite support for her daughter-in-law and a wonderful example of woman’s quite support of other women. Beautiful!

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

Can I just begin this by saying that I love this book's cover, it's vibrant and I got this warm feeling or simply letting go and being at peace as I looked at it. This in a way is what I felt the story was about; three Iranian women, different generations, each having struggled with the challenges life threw at them-have to come to terms with everything they've experienced and you cannot help but feel grateful that the author took you on this journey.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC. This book would definitely look good on my bookshelf and it'd make a great book club story to explore.

Thank you to Netgalley and Fernwood Publishing for a free kindle version of this book.

This book follows 3 generations of Iranian women. Batoul is only 9 when she is orphaned and married off. Although she is nurtured by her mother-in-law, she is quite traumatized and never really recovers - always expecting hardship in life. She is not a very warm mother, but raises her children to be practical.

Batoul’s daughter Mojegan is a nurse and is quite ambitious when she marries Reza, a rather impulsive alcoholic who moves the family from Iran to Canada on a whim....and with no consultation with his wife. Mojegan is unhappy but pretends otherwise.

Mojegan’s daughter Taraneh is raised with parents that fight constantly behind closed doors. Her mother is clearly unhappy with her life, however will not admit to anyone that Taraneh’s father is an alcoholic and stands by him despite all of the dysfunctional behavior and upheavals. When Reza abruptly throws Taraneh out of the family home when she is 16, Mojegan once again backs Reza and Taraneh is faced with navigating the world on her own.

I absolutely loved this book. The stories of the 3 women were fascinating, as was learning about life in Iran from the early 1900’s to more current times.

The book examines cultural beliefs and ideals, family dysfunction and how that manifests throughout different people. It was very thought provoking and made me consider what one would be prepared to leave behind for their own sanity and peace of mind.

I found it interesting that I did not particularly like the character of Batoul, however initially liked her daughter Mojegan. However as Mojegan became less enamored with her life, she became more and more like her mother. I was very moved by Taraneh though and felt her despondency and confusion so much it brought tears to my eyes.

I highly recommend this debut novel by Kimia Eslah and think those who like reading about mother/daughter relationships will find this a very absorbing read.

In its exploration of the lives of three generations of Iranian women, The Daughter Who Walked Away ruthlessly shines a light on family histories of depression, anxiety, and addiction. At 9 years old, Batoul, a traumatized young girl, is married and sent to live with a new family, where she is taught that the outside must never know what goes on inside. This expectation influences how Batoul raises her own children. Mojegan, her youngest daughter, marries the charming alcoholic Reza, who uproots their lives to move to Canada on an impulse. There, his drinking worsens as their children grow, until finally, their 16 year-old daughter Taraneh, traumatized from her upbringing, is kicked out. Taraneh has avoided her family ever since, for over 16 years, and is now married with two children of her own. She longs for them to have a relationship with their grandparents even though she refuses to. Taraneh battles with her depression and anxiety as a result of her childhood with the help of her husband and children.
I loved this story. The insight into Iranian life before the revolution in the 1970s shows just how modern everything was before Iran was under religious rule. The detail and description bring Shiraz, then Tehran, to life, and helps to characterize each woman. The dysfunctional nature of their relationships, mother to daughter, in each generation is well-written, and potentially triggering for people who suffer with a hard family life, but the confrontation of alcoholism and its repercussions is refreshing. As I read, I saw Batoul change from a trusting young woman to a suspicious mother. I saw Mojegan change from a hopeful nurse to a beaten-down mother struggling to survive her husband’s addiction. I felt Taraneh’s change from a dutiful daughter to a rebel teenager, and finally to a woman coping with her traumas. This book resonates with my own experiences, but introduces them in the concept of a culture that is often unexplored.

I requested this book on NetGalley.
This book is very different from the Sci-Fi action packed books I usually read, I'm not sure what decided me to read it but I'm so glad I did!
The story follows 3 generations of women of a same family each struggling with her life and needs and how to raise her children the best way. It takes us from early 1900' Iran to today's Toronto in a series of flashbacks. I discovered so much of History reading this (and the long list of sources at the end makes me believe I can trust what I learned), but mostly the everyday life of people in different places at different points of time, sparkled with cultural notes (musics, films, foods, smells, cars, etc) that brings the past I never knew back to life was a tour de force by this author that really impressed me.
I didn't expect the story to get so personal, being a woman, a daughter, a granddaughter and the mother of 2 girls, I could relate to almost all characters. As the "white people " I had assumed that most Iranian were Muslims and I didn't expect alcoholism to hold such an important place in the story. After reading the minds of the loving grandmother and mother, I truly didn't expect the way the title character "walked away " and her life turns afterwards.
I feel a piece of the puzzle was missing, how did she get from Nilou to Haseem?
Overall an excellent read, I can't wait for a French audio book version to share it with my mother! In the meantime, I'll share it with any English speaking reader I know!
There were a few typos in the text that would require a proofread.

I really enjoyed this.

It tells the personal stories of grandmother, mother & granddaughter as they navigate their own young adulthood and try to overcome their, at times, dysfunctional relationships.

Each woman leads a different life, trying to figure out who they are while still having their own things going on. Trying to mother in the way they wished they had been mothered and making mistakes along the way.

I though Taranah’s (Terry’s) Story was a little more rushed than the others and would’ve liked to have read more about her late teens and before it skips ahead 16 years in the epilogue.

Overall, well worth reading.

This is a very interesting book. It is about three generations of Iranian women in the same family. Each have their own unique issues growing up and navigating through marriage and motherhood. The ending seemed a bit abrupt and I felt a lot about Taranieh's life was left out as 16 years were skipped over. I definitely recommend this book for anyone who enjoys this genre.

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this ARC.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

This book was a beautiful journey of family & love.
It was an unique, well-written story.
The coverart is unique and pretty as well.

I enjoyed the book.