ISBN-13: 9780451232144 Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Published: February 2011
432 pgs
Source: Publisher
When the publisher contacted me awhile back and asked if I want to review Dreaming in English by Laura Fitzgerald, I jumped at the chance because this novel is the sequel of Veil of Roses and I enjoyed that book so much!
Dreaming in English continues the story of Tamila Soroush, a spirited Iranian young woman who wants to break free of the confine life in her country and finding her dreams in America. In this novel, we finally see her finding her true love - an American man named Ike Hanson; but as in life in general, there are always obstacles and challenges finding their ways into our life. In Tami's case, it is getting the approval of his parents (whom they think she's marrying Ike for a reason), meeting face-to-face with Ike's ex-girlfriend (whom she and Ike thought she'd never return to Tucson) and then comes the biggest obstacle - to gain her U.S. residency through an immigration interview.
I find myself rooting for Tami all the way while reading this novel. She is a likeable character and though she is not an outspoken person (due to the culture and her family tradition), she definitely has dreams and she is not afraid to fight for it given the circumstances.
While Dreaming in English is a fiction of a young woman pursuing her dreams, it is also very much about learning more of Iranian culture through Tami's eyes. Through her point of view, she shares with her readers her lifestyle in America and how much it differs from Iran in which they would never allow the freedom of speech or any other things for that matter. Readers would also read about the joys and challenges of cross-cultural marriage and like any other marriage, this requires trust, effort (and sensitivity) from both parties no matter what race or religion a person is. Reading this book also gives me the satisfaction of learning other cultures and be appreciative of the life I have. Dreaming in English is also very much a story about faith and hope on top of the love and the cultural issue and that we need to have those more than blind luck to fulfil our dreams.