India, March 7 -- If you are one who has the time, patience and willingness to navigate through a complex, wordy narrative, only then should you pick up this novel. The book covers a range of themes starting from the Iranian Revolution through the eyes of the elite to the inner struggles of family matriarchs, to the fall of once powerful families reduced to mere wealth. All this is framed by the author's wicked humour and a sheer exaggeration of female emotion.

The narrative unfolds through five different perspectives across a span of 80 years. At the heart of the story is Elizabeth, the matriarch of the family. When the 1979 revolution begins, she is frail and elderly yet chooses to stay in Iran with her husband. Given the family's weal...