Dandelion and Roses by Parand Alavi

“Dandelions and Roses: A Contemporary Persian Romance” by Parand Alavi is an imaginative story with real life influences that illustrates the devasting tragedies of living through the horrendous uprising in Iraq. Alavi introduces a highly respected Kurdish family of low income that go through brutal circumstances that eventually causes them to seek safety. Readers will get a glimpse into the eternal love a mother has for her children portrayed by heroic Ameneh and a devastating act of violence and difficult cultural transition depicted through Ameneh’s daughter, Rozhan, that leads her to a romance of a lifetime.