The saffron kitchen

"A wonderfully intricate debut novel. Crowther, daughter of a British father and Iranian mother, powerfully depicts Maryam's wrenching romantic and nationalistic longings, exploring the potency of heritage and the pain of exile." - Publishers Weekly, starred.

On an autumn day in London, the dark secrets and troubled past of Maryam Mazar surface violently and with tragic consequences. Racked with guilt, Maryam is compelled to leave the comfort of her suburban home and mild English husband to return to Mazareh, the remote Iranian village where her story began.

In London, Maryam's daughter Sara takes care of her orphaned cousin Saeed and her distraught father. As they try to understand what has happened, they begin to unearth small pieces of Maryam's story - and to see a completely different woman. When Sara finally goes to Iran, she begins to see the world that has haunted her mother for half a century. A richly poetic and haunting narrative, The Saffron Kitchen tells of betrayal and retribution; of secrets that can lie undisturbed for decades without losing their power to harm; of the pain of exile and the difficult joy of homecoming.