The Blood of flowers
At first I thought that I would not enjoy this book about a young uneducated village girl who has fallen on hard times. Once she got to the big city I was interested in the life she was forced to lead, both within the household and later when she was thrown out. I now see it as a story of emancipation brought about by having a talent and using it and building it. She had a talent for learning, drawing and carpet making and learnt quickly from her uncle. It was placed in 17th Century Iran city of Isfahan. She also enjoyed her sex after a poor start, but wasn't going to let that rule her life. The book kept me reading, despite the fictional stories that kept interrupting it.
