The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali

 

"Some things stay with you, haunt you. Some embers nestle into your skin. Shots cannot be forgotten. And neither can that force of love."

The Stationery Shop, Marjan Kamali

Set against the 1950s political upheaval in Tehran, Iran, The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali is a moving tale of love, loss, and remembrance. It follows young Roya as she falls in love and discovers along the way that love may not always conquer all in the end.

I was not prepared for the emotional journey The Stationery Shop took me on. It has been a minute since a book has made me cry. Kamali's writing is deeply engaging, transporting the reader into an often overlooked time and place in history. I feel like I learned so much about Iran's history and culture. The Stationery Shop weaves together two of my favourite genres, romance and history. It is not a "romance", but it is a love story (more along the lines of The Notebook.)

This is a character driven novel that explores the choices people make, their motivations, their emotions, and the power our memories can hold over each of us throughout our lives. If you love compulsively readable novels that are both heartbreaking and beautiful, I encourage you to pick up The Stationery Shop.

xo

Jenn

CW - child loss, depression, political violence

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for sending this copy my way to review.