Set in 17th century Persia, it is significant that the protagonist in this thought-provoking novel remains unnamed, indeed a hostage to her fate. Although her family is not wealthy, the girl is valued beyond measure by her family, an only child. Suddenly an inauspicious comet sends the village into paroxysms of dread as the mullah announces potential lapses in moral behavior: "On the topic of marriages, those contracted later this year will be full of passion and strife." Of marriageable age at fourteen, the girl is anxious about her future, eventually soothed by her father's promises. But the happy family is sundered by the unexpected death of the father, widow and child barely eking out sustenance in the village until they are accepted into the household of Gostaham, their only living relative in Isfahan.
Gostaham is a master of the ancient art of carpet making, one of a skilled few favored by the shah. Gostaham has made a fortune with his extraordinary designs and myriad colors, delighted to find that his new young charge is adept at the art of carpet making as well. He explains the philosophy of artisans such as himself: "our response to cruelty, suffering and sorrow is to remind the world of the face of beauty." Although mother and daughter are subject to the harsh restrictions of Gostaham's wife's household demands, the man agrees to train the girl. Watching his student bloom under his tutelage, the master is thrilled, wishing she were a male to carry on his line. Although she acquires one close friend, the beautiful Naheed, the girl is consumed by a love of her art, an avid student, soaking up instruction like a thirsty sponge, eager for more. Her work is indeed valuable and gratifying.
With no prospects and no dowry, the girl's only value is her virtue. Unlikely to make a propitious marriage, she accepts the advice of her relatives and accepts a sigheh, a three month marriage contract with a wealthy man. She learns the pleasures and pitfalls of such a union at the cost of a lifetime commitment and a dear friendship. With no financial independence, she is at the mercy of a society that views her as insignificant, her gender a hindrance in her chosen field. Cast into abject poverty, the young woman takes hold of her future, pursuing a life of creativity, honing the skills Gostaham has nurtured. At a crossroads between despair and hope, she finds the strength to deny the expected in favor of possibility. In a haunting tale, woven through with ancient fables, a young girl of no value carves a place in an indifferent world, invisible in her womanhood, but magnificent in her courage, rising above her circumstances to fulfill her destiny. Luan Gaines/2007.