The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani

 In a small village in 17th century Iran, a girl's parents start searching for a suitable man for her to marry. But when her father dies unexpectedly, the girl and her mother lose all prospects of a comfortable life. They move to Isfahan to live with her father's half brother where they are treated little better than servants. Her uncle is a master carpet weaver in the employ of the shah and makes a very nice living. The girl (who remains unnamed throughout the story) is an excellent weaver in her won right and learns from her uncle. In the meantime, a man asks the girl for a sigeh, which is a contracted marriage. He asks for her for 3 months with the opportunity to renew, and pays her mother in a bag of silver. Being little more than a new sex toy, she learns the ways of sex and how to please a man while receiving pleasure in return. But when she finds her new best friend is to become his actual wife, the plot thickens.

I found this book to be a wonderful read. As a lover of historical fiction, I don't often read stories set outside of Western Society, so I was pleased to find this book so fascinating. The author includes beautifully drawn details of life in Iran, and how women were not powerless chattel they are treated as today. Yes, the women had to cover up from head to toe when going out, but they saw it as a freedom - no one knowing their identity, and they had the freedom to stare at whomever they liked. They also have these wonderful things called hammams - a bath house for women only where they were bathed, massaged, and groomed. And unlike a spa, they were affordable to most women.

The idea of a sigeh was interesting. At first, I thought it was a disgusting idea - basically an extended contract with what comes out to be a whore, and a way for a man to have power over a woman. But really, the woman did not have to accept the contract, nor did she have to renew. And it was explained that many times people (men and women alike) would take a sigeh as a second marriage. I still don't know what to think about it, but it was an accepted practice. I wonder if it still is today.

Beautiful writing, rich details, and a well told story made this book a very worthwhile read.

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