The Good Daughter: A Memoir of My Mother’s Hidden Life… We were a world of two, my mother and I, until I started turning into an American girl. That’s when she began telling me about The Good Daughter. It became a taunt, a warning, an omen. Jasmin Darznik came to America from Iran when she
We were a world of two, my mother and I, until I started turning into an American girl. That’s when she began telling me about The Good Daughter. It became a taunt, a warning, an omen.
Jasmin Darznik came to America from Iran when she was only three years old, and she grew up knowing very little about her family’s history. When she was in her early twenties, on a day shortly following her father’s death…
Jasmin was helping her mother move; a photograph fell from a stack of old letters. The girl pictured was her mother. She was wearing a wedding veil, and at her side stood a man whom Jasmin had never seen before.
At first, Jasmin’s mother, Lili, refused to speak about the photograph, and Jasmin returned to her own home frustrated and confused. But a few months later, she received from her mother the first of ten cassette tapes that would bring to light the wrenching hidden story of her family’s true origins in Iran:
Lili’s marriage at thirteen, her troubled history of abuse and neglect, and a daughter she was forced to abandon in order to escape that life. The final tape revealed that Jasmin’s sister, Sara–The Good Daughter–was still living in Iran.
In this sweeping, poignant, and beautifully written memoir, Jasmin weaves the stories of three generations of Iranian women into a unique tale of one family’s struggle for freedom and understanding. The result is an enchanting and unforgettable story of secrets, betrayal, and the unbreakable mother-daughter bond.
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Beautifully written, and a page-turner! If you like true stories that read like fiction, memoirs that carry through generations, and an astonishing amount of family secrets and suspense unfolding against an incredible and often heartbreaking historical background, READ THIS BOOK! I literally could not put this memoir down…While I really enjoyed Darznik’s rich details about life in Iran throughout the 20th century, this is really a story about women– in turbulent, dangerous times, in impossible situations, caught between traditions and modern expectations. It is also the complex and intimate story of an extended family and the relationships that stretch and strain between them over several decades.I cannot recommend this book enough!
A riveting, unforgettable memoir Five weeks after her father’s death, Jasmin Darznik is helping her Iranian mother, Lili, sort through their belongings in preparation for a move to smaller quarters. When a faded photograph falls out of a pack of letters, Jasmin is shocked to see her mother standing with a mystery man. Even more stunning is the fact that it’s obviously a wedding picture and she appears to be in her early teens and on the brink of tears.
Gripping and beautiful story I picked up the book and was immediately grabbed by the compelling story of a culture very foreign to most Americans, yet very relatable as fellow human beings. Darznik’s mother’s story is heartbreaking yet full of hope, perseverance and tenacity. Darznik weaves a beautifully descriptive narrative that covers three generations of mothers. It’s one of those books you can’t put down, and don’t want it to end. Highly recommend it!