Bookseller Comments

Here’s what booksellers around the country have said about Equal of the Sun:

“Remember when you first read or heard the tales of the Arabian Nights? The lavish colors, the descriptions of smells, food, jewels and silk, the heat, the intrigue and adventure? It was all amazing and exotic and you were transported to another world?

Anita Amirrezvani captures all that in Equal of the Sun. Set in a turbulent late 1500s Iran, when the death of a respected Shah puts the country up for grabs, the maneuvering runs from the Harem (where a favored daughter, with her trusted eunuch, seeks to guide policy) through the many sons and court officials to the remote out lands. There is cruelty, inspiration, uncertainty, and enough suspense to keep you reading well into the night. Based on the real life of Princess Pari, Equal is like “Ali Baba” for adults—but better!”

—Becky Milner, Vintage Books, Vancouver, WA

“In Equal of the Sun, Anita Amirrezvani again draws on a rich, storied Persian heritage for a novel that is both timely and timeless. This kind of story, this kind of imagination, this kind of intrigue—is what we need and love as readers. Knowing it comes from a place too many of us know too little of makes it even more vital and elegantly alive in the present.”

—Rick Simonson, Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA

“Anita Amirrezvani has out done herself with her newest novel. With Equal of the Sun she has crafted a historic novel so rich in detail that your physical senses will be overwhelmed by the sense of place created.”

—Calvin Crosby, Director Special Projects, Book Passage Bookstore, San Francisco Bay Area, California

“Equal of the Sun is rich in historical detail, full of extravagant language and setting, and well-conceived. The parallels of the Iran of the sixteenth century to the Iran of today’s Middle East are interesting and topical. It’s the second novel that you wish more writers could pull off. Very enjoyable, great for book clubs.”

—Ken White, San Francisco State University Bookstore

“Amirrezvani transported you to another time and place with The Blood of Flowers, and she succeeds once again here. 1500’s Iran comes to vivid life in her wonderful new work, and once again the story is centered around a strong-willed young woman. Based for the most part on very well-researched fact, the story of Pari Kahn Khanoom is riveting from the beginning chapters. Told by her servant Javaher, a fictitious character who also happens to be a eunuch, Amirrezvani weaves fact and fiction into a glorious historical tapestry. The relationship that Pari and Javaher share is beautiful. Master/servant is broken and they are soon comrades fighting a common cause. Their stories are well told with Amirrrezvani’s deft eye for history, atmosphere and detail. Insh’Allah Anita continues to create such gorgeous works for years to come. Equal of the Sun is well worth reading.”

𔄤Dan Radovich, Barnes & Noble Vernon Hills, Illinois

“Anita Amirrezvani evokes Shahrazad in this mesmerizing tale of a princess and her eunuch advisor in sixteenth century Iran. Employing language as lush and exotic as its setting, she gives us a novel about love, devotion, trust, intrigue, and, ultimately, justice. Equal of the Sun is as captivating and entertaining as any work a reader may encounter.”

—Bill Cusumano, Nicola Books, Ann Arbor, Michigan