pomegranate soup

after reading "3 cups of tea", i've become enchanted by the middle east and have been looking for more books.
"pomegranate soup" by marsha mehran is a novel that combines some of my favourite things - irish countryside, food (which includes simple persian recipes) and more insight into middle eastern culture. the 3 young aminpour sisters flee iran after the fall of the shah and the rise of the ayatollah and finally settle in the sleepy west coast village of ballinacroagh. the contrast to their old life couldn't be more stark: " For Majan Aminpour, the fragrances of cardamon and rosewater, alongside basmati, tarragon and summer savory, were everyday smells, as common, she imagined, as the aromas of instant coffee and dripping roasts were to conventional Western kitchen corners." mehran's description of smells and colours is at times breathtaking.
here is my "pomegrante soup" yarn.