"Daneshvar lovingly details the old Persian customs and way of life. And the conflict between an understandable yearning for peace and tranquillity in the face of change and tragedy is movingly evoked. It is a sympathetic but never sentimental account of one woman's rite of passage."
- - Kirkus Reviews

"For Western readers the novel not only offers an example of contemporary Iranian fiction; it also provides a rare glimpse of the inner workings of an Iranian family."
- -Washington Post Book World

"Folklore and myth are expertly woven into a modern setting in this powerfully resonant work."
- -Publishers Weekly

"A veritable tour de force fusion of actuality, fantasy, and mystical transport. . . . Reveals Daneshvar at her most gifted, as an innovative writer of the highest order in the long history of Persian literature."
- - Int'l Journal of Middle Eastern Studies

"These six vibrant stories chronicle the vicissitudes of life-its horror, unfairness, humor and fleeting beauty. . . . Daneshvar portrays a world full of injustices and cruel surprises redeemed by hope and acts of kindness."
- - Publishers Weekly

"Six stories probe the lives of individuals who reflect their changing culture. From tongue-in-cheek comedy and social reflection to delicate visions of women's hidden lives, this is packed with involving individuals and moving moments."
- - Bookwatch

"The stories take us into the innermost thoughts of characters often tragically caught between harsh realities with which they must contend and pleasant dreams they have little hope of seeing realized."
- - World Literature Today

"In five intriguing stories, the formal detachment of Daneshvar's prose reinforces her subtle revelation of repressive features in Iranian society. The author, one of the few wellknown women writers in Iran, is a feminist opposed to both political tyranny and religious fanaticism, themes obliquely indicated here. These seemingly simple stories disclose a rich culture in a time of ferment and change, of women in chadors, held in contempt by the men who control their lives. "Vakil Bazaar" seems innocent enough, an everyday tale of an upperclass child let loose in the bazaar while her nanny flirts with a shopkeeper. By the end, with the little girl lost and the nanny passively peering around, the reader is sure that the child will never be found, and nobody will care. In "To Whom Can I Say Hello?," a woman alternates between mourning the loss of her lover and her job and worrying over her daughter, whose brutish husband has denied his motherinlaw access to his house. The moving "Loss of Jalal" is a nonfiction account of the death of the author's husband, a noted writer. This volume is a valuable addition to our knowledge of Persian culture and the political complexities of modern Iran."
- - Publishers Weekly (September 1, 1989)

"Beautiful flowing language gives these six stories a dreamlike quality. In the author's letter, included in this edition, she says she is satisfied with the translation. Simin Daneshvar is fluent in English but writes in Persian. The language in each story differs depending on which character is telling the story. In "Vakil Bazaar" the sentences are descriptive, full of color and sound from the lost child's point of view and filled with sensuality from the flirty maid's point of view. In "The Loss of Jalal" the beautiful, insightful language is from the wife's point of view (the author describes her husband's death). In the story of a lonely old woman's memories the language is narrative, descriptive, and flowing. Each story depicts an aspect of life in modern Iran and changes are shown through symbols and narrative techniques. In "Traitor's Intrigue" the allegiance of a colonel changes from Shah to Khomeini. "The Playhouse" is a traditional Persian theatre where the actors act on many levels, real and unreal. In "Vakil Bazaar" the wanderings of the little girl through the bazaar is really a journey through life. Parody and humor are found in "The Accident," a story about a young woman who forsakes husband and children just to own a car. This is an unusual book that reflects ideas from a rich culture written by the first published woman author of short stories in Iran. It is a wonderful book to read."
- - Women Library Workers Journal (Vol. 14, #3, Spring 1991)