Description

Esther Amini grew up in Queens New York during the freewheeling 1960s She also grew up in a PersianJewish household the American born daughter of parents who had fled Mashhad Iran In CONCEALED she tells the story of being caught between these two worlds the dutiful daughter of traditionbound parents who hungers for more selfdetermination than tradition allows
Exploring the roots of her fathers deep silences and explosive temper her mothers flamboyance and flights from home and her own sense of indebtedness to her two Iranianborn brothers Amini uncovers the story of her parents early years in Mashhad Irans holiest Muslim city the little known history and persecution of Mashhads underground Jews the incident that steeled her mothers resolve to leave and her parents arduous journey to the United States where they found themselves facing a new threat to their traditions the threat of freedom Determined to protect his only daughter from corruption Aminis father prohibits talk books higher education and tries to push her into an early Persian marriage Can she resist Should she Focused intently on what she stands to gain Amini eventually comes to see what she also stands to lose a family and community bound together by food celebrations sibling escapades and unexpected acts of devotion by parents to whom she feels invisible In this poignant funny entertaining and uplifting memoir Amini documents with keen eye quick wit and warm heart how family members build buoy wound and save one another across generations how lives are shaped by the demands and burdens of loyalty and legacy and how she rose to the challenge of deciding what to keep and what to discard