The Blood of Flowers displays a young girl, unnamed and desperate for marriage
However, fate seemed to have other plans as her father injures himself and soon falls sick. Days
go by as the girl and her mother aid to her father’s sickness but it does not do well, as he falls
dead within the arms of his wife. Stricken by poverty and grief, the girl and her mother have no
choice but to reach out to her mother’s long lost brother, who was a rich carpet maker in the rich
city known as Isfahan. Upon traveling, the girl and her mother are welcomed in the magnificent
home only to be turned into servants. While walking in to her uncle’s carpet business, the girl
pleads for him to teach her how to choose colors and create a wonderful Persian carpet, until he
finally relents. However, when making the carpet, the girl messes up and forces herself to start
over, ripping all the expensive wool out of the loom. She is severely punished for her actions and
is then forced to marry a businessman for three months in order to gain money for her family.
She expects to be thrust in a “marriage” of deep love and yearning, but her husband only uses her
for simple pleasures every night for three months. Consequently, trouble arises when the girl’s
best friend, Naheed, is forced into a real marriage with the businessman. Losing her friendship
and her temporary marriage, the girl and her mother are then banished onto the streets, forced to
beg for money in the home of another poor citizen. However, the girl is able to finish her carpet
and it sells for many coins, giving the girl enough money for a second chance at life with her
mother and new poverty-stricken friends.
I honestly really enjoyed this novel. While it was slow at the beginning, The Blood of
Flowers had me on the edge of my seat as to what would happen to the main character during her
time at the rich city. This book explored many different topics, such as complicated love and just
plain lust. The main character is determined to lead her life and does not give up throughout her
adventures. This may not be the best book I’ve read but it comes close with the deep messages
and the natural setting. There were times I felt like laughing out loud only to be crying a few
pages later. The novel was emotional and touched me in places I never knew existed. I loved this
novel and the intricate details in the process of writing this novel. Anita Amirrezvani really does
know how to write her characters with deep personalities and a rich story. All I know for sure is
that I will never look at a Persian carpet the same again.