[amazon_link id=”1451660472″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ][/amazon_link]Title : Equal of the Sun
Author : Anita Amirezvani
Genre : Historical
Publisher : Scribner (Simon & Schuster)
Pages : 464
Source : Publisher
Rating : 4/5

Anita Amirrezvani’s previous novel “The Blood of Flowers” wove an intricate story of a female carpet-maker who must make her way in a strongly patriarchal world. The “Equal of the Sun” tells us of another strong woman, Princess Pari Khan Khanoom Safavi , the daughter of Iran’s king, Tahmasb Shah. Pari, contrary to the expected roles of women in those days, is very interested in politics and governance, and serves as a respected advisor to her father.

When the Shah dies without deciding upon an heir, the kingdom is thrown into chaos, and Pari tries as best as she can to keep the unruly courtiers and nobles in place until a Shah can be decided upon. Pari’s elder cousin, the hitherto exiled Prince Isma’il comes to power, but treats Pari as an outcaste, diminishing her powers and her stature in the royal court. When the new Shah’s lax governance and unjust rule of law become obvious for everyone to see, Pari attempts to remove him and install a more pliable ruler to the throne.

Pari was writing a letter on a wooden lap desk. She wore a blue short-sleeved silk robe covered with red brocade, belted with a white sash woven with bands of gold – a treasure itself – which she had tied into  a thick, stylish knot at her waist. Her long black hair was loosely covered by a scarf printed with golden arabesques, topped with a ruby ornament that caught the light and drew my eye to her forehead, which was long, smooth and rounded as a pearl, as if her intelligence needed more room than most. People say that one’s future is inscribed on the forehead at birth – Pari’s forehead announced a future that was rich and storied.

The book is narrated by an eunuch, Javaher. Javaher’s father was a highly regarded accountant in the Shah’s employ, but was unjustly assassinated, Javaher believes, under false accusations of cheating. He thus longs to clear his father’s name, and for that reason gains employment in the Shah’s court, subsequently becoming Pari’s trusted servant.

Where “The Blood of Flowers” was a history of the common folk of Iran, “Equal of the Sun” is an expansive look at the royalty, and the lies, deceptions and subterfuge that form a part of the royal court. In both cases, the story centers around a strong female figure displaying great courage and ability, but born into a society where women are little more than male appendages, restricted to the harem. This book was engrossing. I knew where it was heading (thanks to Wikipedia) but even so could not put it down, owing to the author’s skillful depiction of the characters. Pari and Javaher  are interesting, enigmatic characters brought to life in this intricate history lesson of a book.

I felt for Pari, powerful princess though she is. Amirrezvani manages to flesh out her precarious existence after her father’s death, striving to become just powerful enough; too little and she is of no consequence, and too much and she gains enemies. Women are facing this struggle even today in the workplace – how to be “womanly” and strong without being seen as “aggressive”. Jahaver also has a sympathetic tale to tell, and we listen of course, but the book is about Pari.

The prose is lush and vivid. The author describes people, their clothes and surroundings in great detail – we get a feel for the soft carpets underfoot, we admire the tapestries on the wall, and are treated to descriptions of the silks, jewelry, accoutrements and apartments and lives of the many women of the Shah’s court. There is some scattered poetry and many references to Ferdawsi’s Shahnameh.

This is a rich wonderfully detailed book, and an absolute pleasure to read. Highly recommended.