A Hundred Sweet Promises by Sepehr Haddad
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I had A Hundred Sweet Promises sitting on my bedside table for a while and I just could not get into. It was the first physical book I had tried to read in years. I realized that was the issue not the content. So even though I had a lovely, author signed copy that I will happily display on my bookshelf, I got the digital copy. Once it was on my kindle, I was off and running and then had no trouble finishing the book. I guess this settles the kindle vs physical book debate for me!
The cover of the book is quite lovely, and I do think it captures the essence of the story.
A Hundred Sweet Promises is a historical fiction novel about the author’s grandfather, Nasrosoltan. Though it is billed as a love story between his grandfather and a Romanov Princess, I think it was much more a story of hs grandfather’s life. The princess does not enter the story until more than halfway through.
The story began at the outset of Islamic Revolutionary War in 1979. The first 2 chapters did not relate much to the story, and I do wish the author had circled back to them to wrap up the story. I think this contributed to the slow start for me. However, once I was engaged, I was very invested in Nasrosoltan’s story in general, not just the outcome of his love story.
I loved the included family photos at the end of the story.
A Hundred Sweet Promises contains good information about Persian and Russian history prior to World War 1. There are also beautiful descriptions of the landscapes, and arts and culture of the two countries.
At times the writing is very lyrical which, though lovely, was sometimes a bit too flowery for me.
Overall, this was a sweet story that I am glad I read. If you are a fan of poetry, historical fiction, or romance you will likely enjoy this read.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4,
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