I read this whole book in one day. It was so beautifully written and tugged at the heart. For a first novel this is amazing! ( )

Halfway though I realized that I had, without a doubt, read this book some years before. Not that I minded. It was a good re-read. I do have some concerns with the author's research on Persians and modern day Iran and I don't think all her assumptions are fair or accurate, but other that that I thought it was a good story and premise. A young Iranian woman comes to the United States in order to find a husband (her visa is only good for three months). She wants to escape the radical religious government and have freedom (unlike her parents who are trapped in Tehran). She stays with her sister and her husband and together they look for a suitable Persian American while she takes English classes at the local library. During the midst of this she meets a charming barista at Starbucks but she doesn't give him the time of day because he would never understand her predicament. Or would he? ( )

could be spoilers
This is a nice book. It is very easy to read & the ideas aren't complex. One strength is that it shows how little the people in Tami's new life understand her situation.

a alle leggi del suo Paese.
Vissuta sempre in Iran fino all'età di 27 anni, si ritrova in America, grazie al visto procuratole da suo padre, per poter raggiungere la sua sorella Maryam, sposata con Ardishir.
Tami è fuori di sé dalla gioia ma la sua felicità ha purtroppo una scadenza e, come nelle favole, i suoi sogni rischiano di tramutarsi in zucche vuote. Il suo visto ha la durata di soli tre mesi ed in questi mesi Tami deve combinare un matrimonio con un uomo iraniano che la sposi e che le permetta anche di restare in America come moglie di un americano.
Maryam si impegnerà a farle conoscere gli uomini più disparati anche se purtroppo nessuno sembra essere quello giusto.
E non sempre va tutto come vorremmo no?
“Molti mariti iraniani sono dolci, gentili e premurosi verso le mogli che considerano persone, non soltanto madri dei loro figli. Però non tutti sono così. Si organizzano té in famiglia, scambi di doni e cene, ma capita spesso che una donna non sia mai stata sola con il proprio fidanzato prima del matrimonio”.
I personaggi sono stati resi dall'autrice molto realistici e alla mano.
Il romanzo è raccontato dal punto di vista di Tami e rende il lettore partecipe dei suoi pensieri. Infatti ho apprezzato molto le sue riflessioni sulla vita in Iran, sul paragone con l'America, e sulle sensazioni che provava nel vivere una vita nuova in questo continente ben diversa e lontana da quella vissuta in passato.
"Il tè non era proprio previsto. Magari dopo il corso, tornando a casa, avrei potuto fermarmi a prenderne una tazza mentre aggiornavo il diario. Però mango e kiwi in Iran non esistono, e così decido di provare. [...] Bleah! Non è mica tè. Freddo, sa di frutta, ma è così dolce che sembra ci sia dentro un quintale di zucchero”.
Questo libro mi ha fatto riflettere, e mi ha fatto pensare a come siamo fortunate noi donne occidentali. Ancora oggi, nel 2012, molte donne, pur non per loro scelta, devono sposare uomini che nemmeno conoscono.
Consiglio "Colazione da Starbucks" a chiunque abbia voglia di sognare, di sorridere, e perché no, anche di commuoversi, con una storia piena di passione e dolce, con un lieto fine molto carino, ma che abbia anche qualcosa di attuale, come in questo caso il richiamo alla cultura ed alla vita delle donne persiane. ( )

This was a pretty good book. The story was intriguing and I wanted Tami to get her permanent new life in America. The characters were colorful - Tami meets so many people with such different personalities it was interesting on a human condition level to see them interact. And even though Tami is a bit on the "wild" side for an Iranian girl - she has no idea what to expect from her new life in America. Her "wild" side is nothing in comparison to what her American friends do on a daily basis.

As a main character Tami was great. She was trying to learn how to fit-in in a culture that she'd only dreamed about becoming a part of. Even though she desperately tries to shed her Iranian lifestyle, there are parts of it that she struggles with. Even when she starts to open up to a new idea her sister - who tries to keep her "pure" pushes her back to some of the things she wants to break out of. Her only hope is to find a man who will marry her quickly. But that becomes a struggle in itself - she's too Iranian for some and too American for others. Her whole trip to America is a struggle for her to find her identity and where she fits in to her new life. The supporting characters made Tami's story that much better. But all the different influences pull Tami along in a way that leaves her confused and frustrated. But she does make some great friends and gets herself into a few funny situations. Well, funny from the outside, at the time Tami was mortified by some of the things she experiences.

While this is a story about finding love, and marriage (not necessarily in the same person) I think it is more of a look into American culture and how overwhelming it can be for someone who's not used to the freedom America offers. Tami's first interaction on her own in a store is just one example of how different things can be. When she accepts a free sample and then the cops just happen to show up at the store she's at, she panics... It was amusing but it also made me feel kind of sad that Tami was made to feel like she was doing something wrong by doing something so common. Then when her friend from her ESL class Eva takes her on a shopping trip the differences between cultures is even more apparent. Eva isn't American, but she's adapted to the lifestyle extremely well, and while good she has good intentions she ends up putting Tami in quite a few uncomfortable situations.

This was a well written book. I enjoyed the story and I also enjoyed being able to see the American culture from the eyes of someone who's trying to find where she belongs in our culture. ( )