I enjoyed reading about Iran but was somewhat disturbed by the characters. Nora and Jahan are so very close but something was beyond close, just downright weird!

I believe that Ms. Rachlin finds an interesting way out of the problem at the end of the novel but it was just a little too much about obsession. Although Nora, the main female, mentions her mom and dad's intense love with each other, basically it was a childhood for the children void of some good nurturing. Perhaps this was where the brother sister attachment comes in, but incest, is kind of hard to understand here and never do I understand what "causes" this unusual obsession with each other.

I sure hope that this was not a true story, it would be too sad for all parties.

The One Eyed Turtle

This novel kept me up until 3:30 AM because I just could not bear to put it down. It is an incredible story of secrets, cultures, love, and the ties that bind. It was a wonderful detailed account of an Iranian-American girl, her brother, and their parents and of their challenges as they lived through the revolution and their flight to America (and the new challenges that were presented there). A fabulous read! I can't wait to start reading Nahid Rachlin's other novels.

Jumping Over Fire, is a timely novel about family values, self respect, love and passion. The story unfolds in Masjid-e-Suleiman, Iran in the early 1970's during the fall of the Shah of Iran. The Ellahi family lived in a spacious two-story house with two parents, two children and a maid on an Iranian American Oil Company compound. Moira, the mother, left her Irish-American Catholic roots in Ohio to work in Iran as a nurse. Cyrus, the Iranian father, was a radiologist. Both were both employed by the Oil Company's hospital located within the compound when they met. They eventually married, adopted a boy of Iranian descent, Jahan, and a year later Moira gave birth to a blond baby girl, Nora.

Nora tells the story in first person. She tells of how she and her brother Jahan were inseparable and loving, and how their parents generally ignored them. Cyrus and Moira loved the children very much, yet they seemed to lavish their affections on each other instead of the children. The children were a couple themselves as they went everywhere and did everything together.

Nora and Jahan were usually left to be on their own aside from the maid, Golpar, who was a traditional Muslim woman. Golpar cooked and served meals to the children, reminded them how they should conduct themselves in public and often provided comfort in the parents' absence. Since they often ventured out into the city for entertainment and shopping they had to be mindful that their Western upbringing would not translate into disrespect for Iranian tradition.

The discovery of Jahan's adoption in their teenage years spurs a romantic, yet defiant relationship in the midst of the Iran hostage crisis and the Ayatollah Khomeini's coming to power. The two no longer consider themselves as siblings giving way to their carnal desires, yet they were fearful of being discovered not only by their parents, but by traditional outsiders who would exert serious consequences to them and their family.

The family's association with the oil industry and their refusal to practice the staunch traditions of Islam made it dangerous for them to remain in Iran. Jahan's embrace of his Iranian heritage and Nora's refusal to be locked in the "traditional ways" brings about conflict between the two of them as the entire family faced the political turbulence that jeopardized their safety. Eventually, Khomeini's take over of the police and government forced the family to immigrate to America. It is in America where the family relationships become redefined.

Although somewhat predictable, I found Jumping Over Fire to be an interesting read especially since we encounter immigrants from the Middle East in our daily lives. It offers an understanding of the conflicting traditional and orthodox morals of Islam and its impact in global society. Jumping Over Fire would be invaluable resource for public library book discussion groups and reading groups of diverse nationalities. The Reading Group Guide promotes interesting dialogue regarding the moral issues and challenges of "blended" American families.

I just finished reading Nahid Rachlin's JUMPING OVER FIRE, a beautifully crafted tale, written with subtlety and insight that is rare in modern prose. Her deeply moving story about the Ellahi family, caught up in the throes of the Iranian revolution, touches on a myriad of topics, including forbidden love, and the loss and abandonment of family and country. What is most remarkable about Ms. Rachlin's writing is the empathy she brings to each character -- particularly to Nora, the heroine, who, by birth and by circumstance, straddles two cultures. JUMPING OVER FIRE presents a window into this unique world. I highly recommended this book.

I just finished reading Nahid Rachlin's JUMPING OVER FIRE, a beautifully crafted tale, written with subtlety and insight that is rare in modern prose. Her deeply moving story about the Ellahi family, caught up in the throes of the Iranian revolution, touches on a myriad of topics, including forbidden love, and the loss and abandonment of family and country. What is most remarkable about Ms. Rachlin's writing is the empathy she brings to each character -- particularly to Nora, the heroine, who, by birth and by circumstance, straddles two cultures. JUMPING OVER FIRE presents a window into this unique world. I highly recommended this book.

So deftly and thoroughly does Rachlin flesh out the character of her protagonist, one quickly comes to think of Nora as an alter ego. Yet another example of Rachlin's specialty:provocative deceptively simple prose brimming with psychological insight.This reader would love a sequel!

So deftly and thoroughly does Rachlin flesh out the character of her protagonist, one quickly comes to think of Nora as an alter ego. Yet another example of Rachlin's specialty:provocative deceptively simple prose brimming with psychological insight.This reader would love a sequel!

I started the book on Saturday and could not put it down. I finished it that weekend and have talked about it since.

This is an Iran that is not sugar coated. The characters are real and complex. This was my first Nahid Rachlin novel. I can't wait for her next book.

Jumping Over Fire is the story of a forbidden love affair with a sweeping backdrop of history. With this difference: the history is recent and immediate, with implications for events now unfolding in the middle east. And with this difference: unlike many historical novels, Rachlin's characters are vivid, their plight deeply moving. Her writing is very assured, with a thorough understanding of both the Iranian and United States cultures. It has elements that will draw in those interested in women's rights, immigration and displacement, Islam, the Middle East, racism, and--oh, yeah, people who want a really good love story.