Wedding Song: Memoirs of an Iranian Jewish Woman (Brandeis Series on Jewish Women)

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Summary: Bridge to a far away land and culture
Review: Farideh Goldin has taken us on a journey to Shiraz, Iran. A journey different from many others, she reveals to us life behind the closed doors of a ghetto. Her use of Farsi expressions such as najess / inpure expose the inner workings of a Shi'te society, and provide us with an authentic exposure to life in non-western society. This book depicts life as lived by a woman who witnesses radical changes in a life time, changes that took a course of centuries in Europe. Goldin's story is the story of a brave woman re-evaluating norms that have been practiced blindly from generation to generation.

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Summary: Heartbreaking, haunting, truly affecting
Review: Goldin has written a richly evocative portrait of her life growing up in an Iranian Jewish family. Written openly and unabashedly from her perspective as first a young girl and later an adult woman, the complexity of emotion and a vividness of recollection makes the book truly stand out and offer something new in the literature of women's, Jewish and Iranian/Middle Eastern studies. The author clearly communicates both her pain and pride at her life and origins. A must-read for anyone interested in the lives of women in the Muslim Middle East or in the experiences of the Jewish communities there.

Rating:
Summary: A must read
Review: Goldin's book is a wonderfully bold telling of her life and memories of her childhood in Iran. The reader gains insight about the lives of women and Jews in Shiraz that many will never share. A must read.

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Summary: Another world another time
Review: Reading this book transports you to another world, another time. Faridah and I are the same age. I grew up in the heart of the Richmond, Virginia's Jewish community while she was in Shiraz. Our adult lives paralled, but our youth was worlds away. I had BBG, USY, and the JCC while she lived in a world not dissimilar to that described in "The Red Tent". I marvel at how she has come to be the woman she is today despite her family and life experiences. Through her text, you can smell the food and feel the pulse of the market. You are with her in the University and feel the terror as she tries to leave Iran. Looking at the family pictures it is hard to imagine the life she led in Iran. I can't imagine what it must be like for women there now. The courage it took to breakaway and leave is hard to imagine. This is a book every American woman should read to understand how lucky we are to have been born in America. I will be giving a copy to all the women in my family. Thank you Faridah for sharing your life and reminding me how lucky we are.

Rating:
Summary: BREATH-TAKING!
Review: Truth often lies in the overlooked details -- a look, a touch, a
thought unspoken. Farideh Goldin is a master at capturing these
details, vividly drawing readers into the hearts and minds of Jewish
women in twentieth century Iran. Through first-person narrative, Goldin
also brings to life the historical relationship between Jews and
Muslims in the Middle East, offering a fresh perspective on the
struggles between peoples of the region. Honest, bold, and gripping,
Wedding Song is a must-read for people of all ethnicities. -- Loolwa
Khazzoom