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Book Review: Nine Rubies by Mahru Ghashghaei as told to Susan Snyder

We accept few books from publishers and authors to review in A Mama’s Corner of the World. Our time is limited—so we carefully screen potential books for review. We evaluate our own interest and commitment to a book’s theme and also consider our reader interests. When we received the chance to review Nine Rubies by Mahru Ghashghaei as told to Susan Snyder, we felt that it was a must read--must review book. We gladly accepted the opportunity. What was our review of Nine Rubies by Mahru Ghashghaei?

Nine Rubies is a book that sheds a rare light upon the traditionally hidden lives of young women in Iran. The book, Nine Rubies, follows the lives of the book’s author, Mahru Ghashghaei and her sisters as they grew up and began families of their own during periods of political change, cultural strife and revolution in Iran primarily during the 1950’s through the 1970’s. Nine Rubies gave an in-depth, first person account of a young woman’s life in a politically charged Iran where citizens faced the fears and uncertainty of a war-torn country while battling century old cultural customs conflicting with a modern full of different beliefs and ideals.

Nine Rubies is a dramatic, wonderfully written book.  Iranian born Mahru Ghashghaei depicts an extraordinary story of her family and history in this story, as told to her American friend Susan Snyder. Mahru’s story flows so vividly and with such attention to detail. Nine Rubies transports readers to places and times in Iran that elicit a range of emotions on nearly every page. It is difficult to read Nine Rubies without experiencing the characters’ emotions—it’s simply written so concisely and well. Each of Mahru’s memories, whether told on a few pages or throughout chapters, packs so many details of life’s challenges for her family—and Iranian women in general—that readers view a clear window to an aspect of the country and culture that is rarely open to outsiders.

Life lessons from Nine Rubies cross cultural boundaries and international borders with ease. Mahru Ghashghaei and her family courageously faced life events that many women will never experience in a lifetime—but, the lessons taught by Mahru’s mother and Mahru herself throughout the book are ones that provide encouragement to any woman in most any culture or nation of the world.

Nine Rubies is a must read. Busy moms comprise the majority of my blog readers—and reading a full length book is something of a luxury for a number of those moms. If you are able to read only one book over the next few months, I would highly recommend Nine Rubies for mothers with daughters. Life’s challenges get in the way living for so many women. Nine Rubies is a powerful, inspirational story that demands an audience—and is one that will not only teach, but strengthen and inspire its readers.

For more information on Nine Rubies and the authors, visit http://www.ninerubiesthebook.com/

Nine Rubies is published by Inventive Designs for Education & the Arts, LLC.

Disclosure:  We were provided a complimentary review copy of Nine Rubies and a media kit including cover art via Raab Associates, Inc.  As always--all opinions and reviews are our own and are in no way influenced by the author, publisher or public relations firm.

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