The Last Days of Café Leila

A Novel

Fiction & Literature, Cultural Heritage, Family Life, Literary
Cover of the book The Last Days of Café Leila by Donia Bijan, Algonquin Books
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Donia Bijan ISBN: 9781616207120
Publisher: Algonquin Books Publication: April 18, 2017
Imprint: Algonquin Books Language: English
Author: Donia Bijan
ISBN: 9781616207120
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Publication: April 18, 2017
Imprint: Algonquin Books
Language: English

“A glorious treat awaits you at the literary table of Donia Bijan.” —Adriana Trigiani

Set against the backdrop of Iran’s rich, turbulent history, this exquisite debut novel is a powerful story of food, family, and a bittersweet homecoming. When we first meet Noor, she is living in San Francisco, missing her beloved father, Zod, in Iran. Now, dragging her stubborn teenage daughter, Lily, with her, she returns to Tehran and to Café Leila, the restaurant her family has been running for three generations. Iran may have changed, but Café Leila, still run by Zod, has stayed blessedly the same—it is a refuge of laughter and solace for its makeshift family of staff and regulars.

As Noor revisits her Persian childhood, she must rethink who she is—a mother, a daughter, a woman estranged from her marriage and from her life in California. And together, she and Lily get swept up in the beauty and brutality of Tehran.

Bijan’s vivid, layered story, at once tender and elegant, funny and sad, weaves together the complexities of history, domesticity, and loyalty and, best of all, transports readers to another culture, another time, and another emotional landscape.
 

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

“A glorious treat awaits you at the literary table of Donia Bijan.” —Adriana Trigiani

Set against the backdrop of Iran’s rich, turbulent history, this exquisite debut novel is a powerful story of food, family, and a bittersweet homecoming. When we first meet Noor, she is living in San Francisco, missing her beloved father, Zod, in Iran. Now, dragging her stubborn teenage daughter, Lily, with her, she returns to Tehran and to Café Leila, the restaurant her family has been running for three generations. Iran may have changed, but Café Leila, still run by Zod, has stayed blessedly the same—it is a refuge of laughter and solace for its makeshift family of staff and regulars.

As Noor revisits her Persian childhood, she must rethink who she is—a mother, a daughter, a woman estranged from her marriage and from her life in California. And together, she and Lily get swept up in the beauty and brutality of Tehran.

Bijan’s vivid, layered story, at once tender and elegant, funny and sad, weaves together the complexities of history, domesticity, and loyalty and, best of all, transports readers to another culture, another time, and another emotional landscape.
 

More books from Algonquin Books

Cover of the book Amateurs, to Arms! by Donia Bijan
Cover of the book Purple Hibiscus by Donia Bijan
Cover of the book In Memory of Junior by Donia Bijan
Cover of the book Ellen Foster by Donia Bijan
Cover of the book The Evil B.B. Chow and Other Stories by Donia Bijan
Cover of the book Imperfect Harmony by Donia Bijan
Cover of the book One Bugle, No Drums by Donia Bijan
Cover of the book The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Donia Bijan
Cover of the book Seasoned in the South by Donia Bijan
Cover of the book Our Noise by Donia Bijan
Cover of the book The Ghost at the Table by Donia Bijan
Cover of the book A Reliable Wife by Donia Bijan
Cover of the book Why Dogs Chase Cars by Donia Bijan
Cover of the book Gardener's Latin by Donia Bijan
Cover of the book Dog on the Cross by Donia Bijan
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy