The Veil of Roses is a fascinating novel about a young woman named Tami. Tami’s life was filled with fear living in Iran, and she hated the way woman were treated. With no rights, respect and men were always superior. Tami longed to live in America ever since she felt the wear of the veil. For her twenty-seventh birthday her parents surprised her with a plane ticket to America. However, the only way Tami could possibly stay in America, was if she found a husband in the three short months she was here. Tami meets and greets Iranian men of all backgrounds, but she can’t help but feel for a young American man she met at a coffee shop. Due to Tami’s strict culture, marring outside of her own culture is shunned upon.
While in America, she is staying with her older sister and her husband in Tucson, Arizona. Her sister is a powerful character in this book who influences Tami’s choices greatly. Tami’s sister tries to change her by caking on make up and putting her in elaborate cloths to make her more appealing to older men. Tami feels uncomfortable the way her sister is making her dress and is still not used to the change in culture.
I loved how this novel shows you what it was like to move here from such a strict non- diverse country; I feel very lucky and have a great sense of pride to live here. I definitely recommend this book to anyone, it’s not just a girly love story, it’s a journey of finding a new life and a whole new start.