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Together Tea: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Marjan Kamali (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,309 ratings
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A disillusioned immigrant grad student and her matchmaking mom return to the country they left behind in this heartwarming debut novel.

Darya has discovered the perfect gift for her daughter’s twenty-fifth birthday: an ideal husband. Mina, however, is fed up with her mother’s endless matchmaking and grading of available Iranian American bachelors.

After Darya’s last ill-fated attempt to find Mina a husband, mother and daughter embark on a journey to Iran, where the two women gradually begin to understand each other. But after Mina falls for a young man who never appeared on her mother’s spreadsheets and Darya is tempted by an American musician, will this mother and daughter’s tender appreciation for each other survive?
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  1. Print length
    338 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Ecco
  5. Publication date
    May 21, 2013
  6. File size
    1422 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Joining a growing list of Middle Eastern American immigration novels is Kamali’s lively debut about one Iranian family making the difficult adjustment to life in the U.S. Parviz and Darya; their 10-year-old daughter, Mina; and her two older brothers came to New York City in 1982, when Iraq began dropping bombs on Iran. Fifteen years later, Darya has given up her dream of becoming a mathematician, using her skills, instead, to calculate statistics pertaining to available Iranian bachelors for Mina, assigning points for everything from good teeth to graduate degrees. Mina is exasperated with her mother’s matchmaking, and disillusioned with business school. She concludes she desperately needs a break, and tells her parents she wants to journey to Iran and rediscover the country they left behind. Darya wants to accompany her daughter, so off they go—hoping to reaffirm Mina’s roots and perhaps strengthen their relationship as well. Kamali perfectly captures the sights, sounds, and smells of Tehran as relatives celebrate with one extravagant party after the other. Humor, romance, and tradition all combine in an enjoyable chick-lit tale, Iranian style. --Deborah Donovan

Review

“Marjan Kamali’s thoughtful novel presents the story of a young Iranian woman’s coming of age in modern America and her mother’s parallel journey from the old world to the new. Kamali’s writing spans oceans yet depicts a common humanity―a lovely work.” — Rishi Reddi, award-winning author of Karma and Other Stories

“Compassionate, funny, and wise, Together Tea is a treasure of a novel. Marjan Kamali creates a wonderfully loving and real story about a mother and daughter, and their complicated cultural identity. Its remarkable scope-from 1970s Tehran to 1990s New York-is beautifully rendered.” — Jill Davis, bestselling author of Girls' Poker Night

“Smart and witty, with characters so dear you want to pack your suitcase and travel with them wherever they can take you. How lucky I feel to have been given this baklava-delicious gift of Persian immersion from a New York point of view.” — Elinor Lipman

“Sparkling dialogue and warm characters make Kamali’s debut novel perfect for book clubs.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Lyrical, vivid, and warm...Although there are differences in Mina’s and Darya’s American experiences, the author effectively evokes the pull both women feel toward Iran. She creates empathy for a people forced to live one life in public and another privately.” — Publishers Weekly

“[A] lively debut...Kamali perfectly captures the sights, sounds, and smells of Tehran. Humor, romance, and tradition all combine in an enjoyable chick-lit tale, Iranian style.” — Booklist

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B009NF6CRI
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ecco (May 21, 2013)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 21, 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1422 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 338 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,309 ratings

About the author

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Marjan Kamali

Marjan Kamali

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Marjan Kamali is the award-winning author of The Stationery Shop (Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster), a national bestseller, and Together Tea (EccoBooks/HarperCollins), a Massachusetts Book Award finalist. She is a 2022 recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship. Kamali’s novels are published in translation in more than 20 languages and The Stationery Shop was awarded the Prix Attitude in France. Her essays have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Literary Hub, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from the University of California, Berkeley, an MBA from Columbia University, and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from New York University. Born in Turkey to Iranian parents, Kamali spent her childhood in Turkey, Iran, Germany, Kenya, and the U.S.

Visit the author at marjankamali.com, on instagram at @marjankamali7, on facebook at www.facebook.com/MarjanKamaliAuthor or on twitter at @MarjanKamali.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
1,309 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Alexandra S/ Oregon / @portlandlpc (Instagram)
5.0 out of 5 stars Such a heartwarming, fun, wonderful reading experience!
Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2019
Verified Purchase
And in the process of a lot of entertaining reading I learned as well so much about Iran, their history, and culture, and a moving window into aspects of the immigrant experience that were very interesting, and informative. Kamali has such a warm, inviting writing style and I found it so hard to put down because like her other (AMAZING) book, The Stationary Shop, I grew so fond of this family and all of the characters. After finishing her other book, which is in my top ten novels of all time, I had to get Together Tea and it did not disappoint. I hope she is a speedy writer so I can read more of her. I already gave away two copies of The Stationary Shop to friends because I couldn't get it out of my head after finishing it and wanted to be able to discuss it!
13 people found this helpful
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Aline R Morris
4.0 out of 5 stars T
Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2022
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It was a truly feel good story. Loved the characters, enjoyed learning about Iran as a country that would have been wonderful to visit in a different time. Also appreciated the old fashioned virtue of chaste courtship.
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Claude
5.0 out of 5 stars I loved it. The narration is realistic and rich
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2018
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I commented, cried and laughed all along the novel.
I drunk it with a straw by moments, with big gulps at others, especially towards the end, staying awake until 1:00 am to finish it.
Needless to say, I loved it.

The narration is realistic and rich. It encompasses so many themes: love, emotions (hardship, and beauty all along), colors, scents, images, and strong vital, meaningful messages.
I appreciated the presence of the war without being overwhelming. That was another challenge mastered by Marjan Kamali.
When Darya and Mina returned to Iran, I wanted to take a plane ticket and go there too.
Actually, I was there, with each character, and adored them all, Larviz and Mamani in particular.
Marjan Kamali took my the hand and showed me a fascinating culture.

Marjan Kamali interestingly addresses the difficult issue of not belonging, among so many others.
One doesn't need to be Iranian to not belong anywhere, even though it doesn't help, especially nowadays.

I’ll present a letter of doléances to my Farsi friend for all the foods I didn’t taste at her home during our twenty years of friendship :). Marjan Kamali brought water to my mouth more than once.

Finally, I have a complaint, the book is translated in Italian and German but neither in French nor Spanish.
I can’t wait for the next novel.
11 people found this helpful
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N. Naraghi
5.0 out of 5 stars This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to learn about Persian ...
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2015
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This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to learn about Persian culture, contemporary Iran, immigration, and belonging. The book is told by the third person narrator, focuses on two characters: Mina, the daughter and Darya, the mother. It is the story of coming of age in US with Persian culture at home and American culture outside. The themes of immigration, cultural assimilation, and identity can remind the reader similar novels: Lipstick Jihad, Persepolis, and Namesake to name a few. The protagonists in all these novels, return to their homeland in their quest for their identity.

There comes a point in Mina's life that she feels the need to go back to Iran to figure herself out. Ironically, Darya, who hasn't had any desire to go back to Iran, feels the need in her life to go back to Iran to make some sense out of her life: her relationship with her husband, Parviz and her infatuation with Sam. Despite the family's rejection: Parviz and the sons, Mina and Darya embark on their journey to Iran after living fifteen years in exile.

The reader learns a lot about Persian culture, food, social etiquettes, and the resentment of Iranians for exiles for leaving them during the most pivotal time: Iran/ Iraq war. Mina finds herself in a similar and awkward position of defending the people of her country (this time US) for the actions of their government. She was upset at first for being treated as the one who left the country behind, but she was able to feel much empathy for her relatives for what they've gone through and felt the guilt over living in exile. She was able to reestablish her relationship with her best friend and find love. Darya realized Mina is very strong and can accomplish whatever she sets her mind into.. She no longer needed to use her spreadsheets to find a suitor for MIna. She will be OK with or without a man for survival. She accepted the realities of her life, her marriage to Parviz and her children's accomplishments. On the last day of their trip in Iran, Mina and Darya are in Isfahan, Imam Square, the famous Islamic architecture from the Safavid. Darya wants to make this trip very memorable for Mina. She knew of the famous coffee/tea house in the Thirty Three bridges. She tells Mina let's go there and have our "Together Tea.". This was very symbolic for Darya whose early memories in the US was of mothers and daughters having tea together & her wish that one day she will be able to have "Together Tea" with her daughter.
4 people found this helpful
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Marsha Weiss
4.0 out of 5 stars The members of the group all enjoyed it. The book provides an opportunity to view ...
Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2015
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Our book club read this book for our May meeting. The members of the group all enjoyed it. The book provides an opportunity to view another culture, the difficulty of assimilating to a new culture, and the importance of family & friends. The conflicts of a mother-daughter relationship cross both cultures with an ultimate recognition that love creates the conflict and love sustains the relationship with time and maturity.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Avisha Das
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read
Reviewed in India on May 6, 2024
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An unputdownable book. Filled with emotions, memories, childhood, horrific effects of wars and many more. Such excellent use of imageries by the author. A great piece of work. Must read.
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carina beineke
4.0 out of 5 stars Suoer
Reviewed in Germany on December 7, 2021
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Sehr gut
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Beverley S.
5.0 out of 5 stars A great read about a family forced to leave their country of origin.
Reviewed in Canada on August 15, 2019
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How I love this book. Love the Characters. I WANT more from this author!! Its a story of a family forced to come to America fleeing a revolution in 1974.
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Sara Jafari
5.0 out of 5 stars 100% recommend
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 17, 2018
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I loved this book so much! 100% recommend.

It’s so rare to find a book with Iranian characters - especially dual nationalities - so I knew I had to buy this. The characters are so endearing, it’s truly a heart warming book. I’ve marked so many pages to come back to. The author explores families so well - buy this and you won’t regret it!
2 people found this helpful
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Scarlett
3.0 out of 5 stars Not As Good As The Stationery Shop in Tehran
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 23, 2021
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I purchased this after reading the excellent The Stationery Shop in Tehran by the same author expecting this to be the same. sadly it wasn't. In fact I was more than disappointed. This book is boring making it hard to read.
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